More Moscow police officers will be allotted to look for signs of impaired driving over Labor Day weekend, according to Lt. Paul Kwiatkowski.
These signs include weaving and failure to signal. Kwiatkowski said every driver does these things, but officers look for them when looking for inebriated drivers.
In early August, MPD ran a special patrol for aggressive driving. Kwiatkowski said aggressive driving practices like speeding and tailgating are major factors in traffic accidents.
He said the goal of the Moscow Police Department is to reduce traffic accidents and other problems.
According to the Idaho Department of Transportation, traffic accidents decreased 7.6 percent between 2010 and 2011. Fatal crashes were down 17.8 percent across the state.
Idaho had a higher fatality rate in 2010 than the national average–18.18 per 100,000, compared to the national average of 14.31, according to the Fatality Analysis Reporting System. The best state in the Union is 6.48.
In northern Idaho, aggressive or impaired driving caused more than 80 percent of traffic fatalities.
ITD works with local law enforcement on special traffic patrols that focus on aggressive driving and drunk driving, as well as seatbelts and other safety concerns.
These patrols put more officers on the streets, giving many of them overtime, according to Kwiatkowski.
“They look for minor traffic violations,” Kwiatkowski said.
He said the goal is to make a lot of stops, which means more contacts, which in turn means a greater likelihood of finding drunk drivers.
These special traffic patrols run during the evening hours. During that time, the extra officers patrol the streets, focusing solely on traffic violations.
Kwiatkowski said these officers work overtime, fulfilling traffic duties in addition to regular duties.
Kasen Christensen can be reached at [email protected]