BATON ROUGE, La. (KLFY) — Louisiana State Troopers will be out in full force, looking for aggressive or impaired drivers for the Independence Day weekend.
“Every year across our nation, impaired drivers kill or injure thousands of people,” said Louisiana State Police TFC Thomas Gossen. “Impaired driving is a deadly crime that remains prevalent in Louisiana. In 2019, impaired drivers were involved in 39.6% of fatal crashes in our state. The drunk driving death rate in Louisiana is 5.2 deaths per 100,000 people and is higher than the national average of 3.2, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.”
Additional manpower will be possible over the weekend thanks to funding from the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission.
Motorists should designate a safe and sober driver before heading to any location where alcohol will be consumed. To report impaired drivers, motorists are encouraged to dial *LSP (*577) from their cell phone or contact local law enforcement by dialing 911.
“Last year in our state, 59% of drivers and 62% of passengers killed in crashes were not wearing a seatbelt,” stated Gossen. “Unfortunately, Louisiana has a seatbelt usage rate of 87.5%, which is below the national average of 90.7%. Louisiana law requires all occupants to be properly restrained regardless of their age or seating position, day and night. While not all crashes are survivable, seatbelts can greatly decrease the likelihood of death or serious injury in the event of a crash.”
