Dexter Police Department’s Youth Alcohol Enforcement Campaign Joins National
Crackdown To Reduce Drunk Driving Fatalities
‘Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over’ Campaign Will Target Substance–Impaired Drivers.
Dexter, Missouri - Local and state law enforcement will be out in full force as part of the annual nationwide
May/Youth Alcohol Enforcement Crackdown “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” substance–impaired
driving crackdown. The crackdown, which will include high-visibility enforcement Dexter, will run from May 5-16, 2016.
The effective nationwide substance–impaired driving crackdown will include high-visibility enforcement,
high-profile events, and will be supported by national paid advertising, creating a comprehensive
campaign to curb substance–impaired driving during the enforcement period.
Dexter Police said its Officers will be aggressively looking for substance–impaired drivers during the crackdown and will arrest anyone caught driving impaired.
Although it is illegal in all 50 States, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico to drive impaired (having a
blood alcohol concentration of .08 or higher), far too many people across the nation get behind thewheel after consuming alcohol or other illegal drugs. The latest statistics from the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration underscore the serious nature of the nation’s continuing drunk driving
epidemic.
“Every year, about one third of all motor vehicle traffic deaths involve one or more substance- impaired
drivers or motorcycle operators,” said Lieutenant Benton. “In 2015, 178 people were killed and 605
seriously injured on Missouri’s roadways in crashes that involved at least one substance-impaired
driver.” That works out to approximately one substance-impaired driver involved fatality every (2) two
days.
Lieutenant Benton added the St. Patrick’s Day holiday is particularly dangerous. During the Youth Alcohol
Enforcement Campaign May 1-12, 2015, four (4) people were killed and eighteen (18) seriously injured
involving at least one substance-impaired driver that was under 21 years of age.
Research has shown that high-visibility enforcement like the 'Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over' campaign
reduces substance–impaired driving fatalities by as much as 20 percent. By joining this nationwide
effort, we will make [Local Area]’s roadways safer for everyone throughout the holiday,” said Lieutenant Benton.
“We want to remind everyone that getting behind the wheel impaired is a terrible idea. Unfortunately,
not only does being under the influence impair your ability to operate a vehicle safely, it also impairs
your judgment and good sense about whether you can, or should drive. If you have any doubt about
your sobriety, do not get behind the wheel. If you do chose to drive impaired, you will be arrested. No
warnings. No excuses,” Lieutenant Benton said.
Lieutenant Benton noted that being arrested for driving under the influence of any substance brings a wide
range of negative consequences into one’s life. Substance–impaired drivers face jail time, loss of their
driver licenses, and steep financial consequences such as higher insurance rates, attorney fees, court
costs, lost time at work, and the potential loss of their job. When family, friends and co-workers find
out, violators also often face tremendous personal embarrassment.
“Driving while impaired is simply not worth the risk. So don’t take the chance. Remember, we will be out
in force and we will be watching, so ‘Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over,’” said Lieutenant Benton.
For more information, visit the “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” Campaign Headquarters at
www.TrafficSafetyMarketing.gov , or www.saveMOlives.com .
Northbound ramp from I-55 to I-57 in Scott County will be closed as contractor crews perform pavement repairs.
This section of roadway is the ramp coming from I-55 north to I-57 north.
Weather permitting, work will begin Tuesday, May 3 at 6 a.m. and will reopen at 7 p.m.
The work zone will be marked with signs. Motorists are urged to use extreme caution while traveling near the area.
For additional information, contact MoDOT’s Customer Service Center toll-free at 1-888-ASK-MODOT (1-888-275-6636) or visit www.modot.org/southeast.
Dexter, Missouri - Dexter Police ticketed 2 motorists for not wearing seat belts during the April 14th Click It or Ticket mobilization. Law enforcement agencies throughout Missouri participated in this statewide effort to get more motorists to buckle up — and save more lives.
During the enforcement effort, officers issued a total of 7 traffic citations including: 2 seat belt tickets and 5 other traffic violations. Officers also conducted a safety checkpoint where seatbelt pamphlets were passed out to motorists reminding them of the importance of seatbelts.
Despite evidence proving the benefits of wearing a seat belt, nearly one in five Missouri motorists are still not making it click. Even more concerning, six out of ten Missourians killed in traffic crashes are unbuckled.
“Seat belts are your single best defense in a crash,” stated Lt. Joshua Benton of the Dexter Police Dept. “We will continue to encourage drivers to make a simple, smart choice to buckle up and Arrive Alive.” For more information on Missouri’s seat belt use, visit ww.saveMOlives.com. Buckle Up and Arrive Alive
The annual Trash Bash encourages people to clean up litter across Missouri from roadsides, parks, neighborhoods, rivers, streams, trails and other places. Trash Bash activities in April also include educational efforts in schools, community events and Earth Day celebrations.
Each year, MoDOT alone spends about $6 million to remove litter from more than 385,000 acres of roadsides along 34,000 state highway miles. Annual volunteer efforts to pick up litter along Missouri highways are valued at $1 million.
Last year, more than 60,000 bags of litter and several truckloads of debris were picked up during the one month Trash Bash. People also attended numerous educational events stressing the importance of not littering. Volunteers participated through Adopt-A-Highway and Stream Team litter cleanup events. Missouri Stream Team Program volunteers removed 581 tons of litter from waterways and dedicated over $1.8 million worth of volunteer time to annual statewide litter removal.
Littering isn't just ugly, it also hurts wildlife and Missouri outdoors.
Volunteers are needed across the state to participate in litter cleanup activities. Participants can report their cleanup efforts and will receive a thank you No MOre Trash! pin.
For more information and to learn how to participate, visit www.nomoretrash.org or call 1-888-ASK-MODOT (1-888-275-6636).
“I was in my new boat baiting hooks on a trotline, and out of nowhere something hit the line hard,” Wright said. “I grabbed the line and yanked it, and then the fight was on. I finally got it in the boat after about three minutes and was totally shocked to see that it was a white bass.”
Wright added that he wasn’t sure if it was state record so he contacted MDC immediately.
“Once MDC confirmed that the fish was a state record I was so excited,” he said. “This was my dad’s and my dream. I just can’t believe it came true! This is by far the biggest white bass I have ever caught on a trotline. I plan on having it mounted so I’ll never forget catching a fish like that.”
MDC staff verified the record-weight fish using a certified scale in the town of Galena.
“2016 is shaping up to be a year for state-record fish,” said MDC Fisheries Programs Specialist Andrew Branson. “We have already had six new records so far, which is more than an entire year sometimes. The mild weather we have had so far this year means more anglers are fishing, and catching big fish.”
Wright’s recent catch set the state record for white bass in the alternative methods category.
Missouri state-record fish are recognized in two categories: pole-and-line and alternative methods. Alternative methods include: throwlines, trotlines, limb lines, bank lines, jug lines, spearfishing, snagging, snaring, gigging, grabbing, archery, and atlatl.
