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Campaign begins to make highways safer
Published Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Alabama State Trooper Robert Morgan talks to a driver at a road block set up on Old Montgomery Highway on Wednesday night.
Buckle up, mind your speed and have your license and registration ready.
Wednesday marked the Alabama State Police campaign called “Take Back Our Highways.”
The operation will end Nov. 26 and focus on impaired drivers.
State troopers and Selma police officers joined together Wednesday to set up a roadblock on Old Montgomery Highway. At the checkpoint, officers utilized the BAT (Blood Alcohol Testing) Mobile.
The BAT Mobile is an RV equipped with specialized Breathalyzer equipment. It enables officers to test suspected impaired drivers on the scene and process them for transport to jail.
The Department of Public Safety unveiled the BAT Mobile in October and will use these vehicles during the campaign.
Gov. Bob Riley awarded nearly $1.4 million in grants to fund the vehicles, used to support a statewide DUI Task Force.
Since October, the Department of Public Safety has acquired eight more BAT Mobiles.
“Our state troopers and the new equipment provided by these grants will save lives by taking drunk drivers off Alabama’s highways,” Riley said in a press release. “Approximately 40 percent of all traffic deaths in Alabama involve alcohol. The danger drunk drivers pose to every man, woman and child who travel on our roads cannot be taken lightly, and in Alabama we don’t take this threat lightly.”
Alabama State Trooper John Reese reported that after two hours of the roadblock officers checked 200-300 vehicles for various offenses — improper child restraints, not using a seat belt, drinking and driving, warrants and valid information.
“We have tested five people with the BAT Mobile for suspected DUI,” Reese said. “So far we have arrested one person for a DUI.”
Officers also arrested others for outstanding warrants.
“We arrested two people for warrants,” Reese said. “They both had failure to appears.”
Reese said catching just one person driving under the influence meant a successful night.
Law enforcement officers will hold a second phase of “Take Back Our Highways” from Dec. 17-24.
“Drivers should slow down, obey all traffic signs, buckle up and not drink and drive,” Reese said.
Comments
Posted by getitreal2008 (anonymous) on November 20, 2008 at 1:14 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Okay,I applaud what they are doing and what it stands for, but, I think the phrase "take back our highways" gives the impression that they lost them to begin with. Also, why such a big deal about it? Again, I commend them, but to spend all this money when they are doing there job is a bit overkill to me. Why not use that money to give the officers much deserved raises? They should and hopefully are out there stopping people and checking on these things anyway. The idea of the BAT mobile is nice and all, but chances are they will be sitting there with noone in it more than out on the road when cops pull someone over and need it. I doubt someone will jump in and run to every stop. I do think that people need to NOT drink and drive and that police should do all they can to stop it, but what about using 1.4 million towards raises, more officers, etc. More officers I think would be more beneficial to preventing all crimes including DUIs.
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