NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - During the holidays, you may have noticed checkpoints and an increased police presence on the roads.
When it’s the holiday season, you can be sure there are plenty of holiday parties to go around: which unfortunately, in some cases, means an increase in impaired driving.
“If we respond to accidents, we’ll make sure the parties are not intoxicated. If we’re out traveling, we’re going to make sure that the car is not weaving in and out of their lanes, aggressively driving," said Brandon Maynard of the Newport News Police Department.
Newport News Police say buzzed driving is drunk driving. So, it is always important to have a plan in place to avoid driving impaired.
The department says just within the last couple of months, they have already made at least 20 DUI arrests. That number tends to go up even higher around this time of year when everyone’s traveling and celebrating the holidays with family and friends.
But, officials have a message if you think you won’t get pulled over because it’s never happened to you before:
“Think twice, because it doesn’t take much at all to blow over the legal limit. It could take a few beers and you are over the legal limit," Maynard said.
News 3 met Colette Tranchant at the beginning of December at a candlelight vigil held in honor of the victims who lost their lives to drunk drivers. Colette shared with News 3 that she lost her daughter back in 2007 and her life has never been the same.
“Someone’s good time ends up ruining lives, lots of lives. Our lives will never be the same. The guy will get out of prison or the person who drove drunk will get out of prison, but we’re never going to get out," Tranchant said.
Checkpoints and patrols in Newport News started Wednesday and will continue through New Year’s Eve.
