UNIVERSITY CITY, MO - In July, the National Forum on Traffic Records and Highway Safety Systems announced that Missouri leads the nation with the largest drop in road fatalities in 15 years. In August, the University City Police Department (UCPD) announced that it would participate in a campaign designed by the Missouri Department of Transportation𠏋 Highway Safety Division to even further reduce road fatalities.
The goal of You Drink & Drive. You Lose. is to stop people from driving while impaired. The campaign runs August 17 through September 3.
𨧻 Impaired driving is one of the most often-committed violent crimes, randomly killing or injuring someone in Missouri every one and a half hours. The tragedy is that impaired driving is a preventable crime,?said U. City Police Chief Charles Adams.
Consider some of the consequences of drinking and driving:* For the first conviction (or first conviction in over five years), license suspension for 30 days followed by a 60-day suspension, except when hardship license is obtained.* A second conviction results in a $1,000 fine, a yearlong license revocation, and up to a year in jail. You will also be required to install an ignition lock to prevent your car from starting if you have alcohol on your breath (average cost $800 plus installation).* Third and subsequent convictions can yield up to a $5,000 fine, a 10-year license denial, and/or up to seven years in jail.* If while intoxicated, you cause a fatal accident, you could be charged with Involuntary Manslaughter (a felony) resulting in up to seven years in jail, a $5,000 fine, or both.* Insurance coverage will be difficult, and the rates significantly higher.
For information, contact UCPD Major Ernest Green: (314) 505.8653. For information about the You Drink & Drive. You Lose campaign, visit: http://www.saveMOlives.com. |
