(Fremont County, WY) – This Labor Day holiday weekend, the newly formed Fremont County DUI Task Force will implement increased impaired driving enforcement operations.
The Fremont County DUI Task Force is comprised of the Wyoming Highway Patrol, Fremont County Sheriff’s Office, and the Lander, Riverton, Shoshoni, and BIA Wind River police departments.
Check out the County 10 podcast with DUI Task Force members Cody Beers and Pete Abrams from WYDOT, Noel Cooper from Injury Prevention Resources, and Travis Hauser from Wyoming Highway Patrol.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) states that 10,142 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2019 that involved an alcohol-impaired driver.
During 2019 in Wyoming, 26 percent of traffic fatalities involved an alcohol-impaired driver. This is why Wyoming law enforcement is working with NHTSA to remind drivers that drunk driving is not only illegal, but also a matter of life and death.
For Fremont County specifically, both impaired fatalities and impaired injuries averaged higher than the entire state over the three year period from 2018-2021, according to a Governor’s Council Impaired Driving report presented by Richard Adriaens at the July Fremont County Association of Governments (FCAG) meeting in Dubois.
The Council report also stated that Wyoming averaged 129 fatalities during this three year period.
“We want Wyoming to understand that it’s our first priority to keep people safe, so we’re asking everyone to plan ahead if they know they’ll be out drinking,” said Haller.
“We need commitment from our communities that they’ll keep the roads free of drunk drivers so that everyone can have a safe holiday. This is a campaign to get the message out that drunk driving is illegal, and it takes lives. Let’s also make this a partnership between law enforcement and drivers: Help us protect our state and put an end to this senseless behavior.”
As you celebrate Labor Day, remember to Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.
The Fremont County DUI Task Force recommends these safe alternatives to drinking and driving:
- Remember that it is never OK to drink and drive. Even if you’ve had only one alcoholic beverage, designate a sober driver or plan to use public transportation, taxi or a ride sharing service to get home safely.
- If you see a drunk driver on the road, contact Fremont County law enforcement or dial 911.
- Have a friend who is about to drink and drive? Take the keys away and plan to get your friend home safely.
The Wyoming Highway Patrol also urges drivers to help keep Wyoming’s roadways safe by calling the Report Every Drunk Driver Immediately (REDDI) at 1-800-442-9090 to report a suspected drunk driver.
In short, don’t drink and drive. You’ll be arrested.