Halloween weekend was hopefully less scary this year for Delaware’s driving public as officers arrested 47 people for Driving Under the Influence (DUI) of alcohol and removed the impaired drivers from state roadways.  The arrests were made at sobriety checkpoints and DUI saturation patrols conducted as part of a statewide enforcement effort coordinated by the Delaware Office of Highway Safety (OHS).  The Halloween DUI mobilization falls under the umbrella of OHS’s 2008 Checkpoint Strikeforce campaign.

Six sobriety checkpoints were conducted between Friday and Saturday night.  Participating agencies included the New Castle County DUI Task Force which operated two of the checkpoints, the Dover Police, the Georgetown Police, the Milford Police, the Smyrna & Clayton Police Departments working jointly, and Delaware State Police Troop 3.   In addition to the checkpoints, officers from 22 state, county and local police agencies also conducted approximately 50 DUI saturation patrols.

During one of the saturation patrols, Troopers from DSP Troop 1 in north Wilmington also stopped and cited two drivers for traveling in excess of 100 mph on I – 495.  They were cited for driving 101, and 103 miles per hour on the interstate. 

“These arrests should serve as standout example of how Delaware’s law enforcement officers met their primary goal of removing impaired drivers from the roadways, but are not ignoring other dangerous driving behaviors such as these when they witness them,” said Andrea Summers, Community Relations Officer for OHS. “We are grateful for their dedication.”

In addition to the weekend’s 47 DUI arrests, officers issued three citations for underage drinking violations, apprehended five wanted individuals, made eight drug arrests, five felony arrests, recovered two weapons, issued 17 seat belt citations, one child restraint citation, and 128 citations for various other traffic violations. 

Nationally, 44% of all fatalities nationwide on Halloween night involve alcohol.