Burlington Police Cracking Down on Impaired Driving

The is reminding drivers to stay safe and not drink and get behind the wheel.

The department announced last week that it will join 128 other law enforcement agencies statewide in support of an intensive crackdown on impaired driving from August 15 to September 3 as part of the national Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over mobilization. The program is funded by a federal grant administered through the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security’s Highway Safety Division (EOPSS-HSD).  

According to a release from Burlington Police, impaired driving is one of America’s most often committed and deadliest crimes. In 2010, 115 people died in impaired driving related crashes in the Commonwealth.  Moreover, there were an additional 2,750 impaired driving related personal injury and property damage crashes and almost 14,635 impaired driving arrests. 

 On average, there is one alcohol impaired driving-related fatality every 51 minutes across America.  The number of drivers operating under the influence increases during holiday weekends, especially during summer holidays. 

“All too often, innocent, law-abiding people suffer tragic consequences and the loss of loved ones due to this careless disregard for human life," said Chief Micahel Kent. "Because we’re committed to highway safety, we are intensifying enforcement during the crackdown.  Since twice as many alcohol-impaired crashes occur over the weekend and four times as many occur at night, we will be especially vigilant during these high-risk times when impaired drivers are most likely to be on our roads."

According to the release, Burlington Police Department officers will be aggressively looking for all impaired drivers during the crackdown and will arrest anyone they find driving while impaired — regardless of age, vehicle type or time of day.

“Our message is simple and unwavering: if we find you driving impaired, we will arrest you. No exceptions,” said Chief Kent. “Even if you beat the odds and manage to walk away from an impaired-driving crash alive, the trauma and financial costs of a crash or an arrest for driving while impaired can still destroy your life.”

 According to the Registry of Motor Vehicles, violators often face jail time, loss of their driver licenses, or being sentenced to use ignition interlocks. Their insurance rates go up. Other financial hits include attorney fees, court costs, lost time at work, and the potential loss of job or job prospects. All told, a first offense can easily cost well over $5000.  

"Driving impaired is simply not worth all the consequences," the release states. "Remember, Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over."