Task Force Cracks Down on DUI Enforcement

Be smart. Be responsible. Designate a driver.

The Southeast Fargo Regional DUI Task Force will be increasing their action to ensure drivers are not driving under the influence and encouraging citizens to designate a driver.

In coordination with North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT), the Fargo DUI Task Force will escalate efforts to monitor the city due to the high rates of alcohol related deaths on the road.

“In 2011 alone, 45 percent of all the fatalities on North Dakota roadways were alcohol related,” William Vandel, NDSU chief of police, said.

“While we may have heard all the numbers, it is important to remember they represent what could happen to us, or our close friends or family,” Vandel said. “Nobody is safe on our local roadways when impaired drivers make the decision to start their vehicle and begin driving.”

The police are encouraging citizens to be responsible and to designate a driver.

The TODD campaign, which stands for To Designate a Driver, provides safe driving tips, cab company information and other resources.

The website www.dontforgettodd.com is a collaborative website sponsored by the NDDOT. It reminds people of the importance of having a designated driver and how local police are enforcing DUIs.

The heavy enforcement will occur from Oct. 26 through Nov. 3. Law enforcement officials will regulate and monitor much more heavily during these times.

“Making necessary arrests will hopefully help us reduce the number of fatalities on North Dakota roads,” Vandel said. “In 2011, there were 6,200 DUI arrests in North Dakota and this number, quite simply, is too high.”

This enforcement is supposed to be intimidating and encouraging for citizens to think responsibly when it comes to alcohol.

The increased patrol will be in Fargo, West Fargo, NDSU, Lisbon, Wahpeton, Traill, Steele, Cass, Ransom, Sargent and Richland Police Departments.

For more information on the significance of being a designating a driver or finding one, go to www.dontforgettodd.com
Citizens can also sign up for e-mails or text messages at the website.