Rizzo, Police to Crack down on Impaired Drivers

Mayor Dan Rizzo and Chief of Police Joseph Cafarelli today announced that the Revere Police Department will join over 148 other law enforcement agencies statewide in support of an intensive crackdown on impaired driving from August 13 to September 1 as part of the national Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over mobilization, funded by a federal grant administered through the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security’s Highway Safety Division (EOPSS-HSD).

Impaired driving is one of America’s most often committed and deadliest crimes.  The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that in 2012 in Massachusetts, 123 people were killed in crashes that involved drivers with a blood alcohol content level of .08 or higher.

NHTSA also reports that on average, there is one alcohol impaired driving fatality every 51 minutes across America.  The number of drivers operating under the influence increases during holiday weekends, especially during summer holidays, with one alcohol impaired driving fatality every 34 minutes during Labor Day weekend.

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

Revere Police Department’s 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 Cafarelli. “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, lose their driver’s licenses, and are 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 thousands of dollars.  Driving impaired is simply not worth the consequences.  Remember, Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.