County joins drunk driving crackdown

By the Daily Times staff
Thursday, August 7, 2008 12:27 PM CDT

JEFFERSON - Keeping in mind Wisconsin has the highest rate of drunk driving in the nation, the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department has joined a countrywide crackdown to curb the practice.

According to Capt. Pat Brown of the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department, deputies will be patrolling in greater numbers to arrest impaired motorists as part of a crackdown scheduled to last from Aug. 15 to Sept. 1. The initiative is going under the name “Drunk Driving - Over the Limit. Under Arrest.”

“More than 42,000 drivers, which is about the same number of people as the population of Fond du Lac, were convicted of drunken driving offenses in Wisconsin last year,” Brown said. “When we stop a drunken driver, we don't give warnings or accept excuses. It doesn't matter if you're a pickup driver, a minivan driver or a motorcyclist. And it doesn't matter if you are within a block of your house. If you are over the limit, you will be arrested.”

Brown reminded those tempted to drive after having a few too many that impaired driving can cost a motorist their license and a large amount of money in fines, court costs, increased insurance premiums and other expenses. Repeat offenders also face jail time.

Instead of risking an arrest for impaired driving, the sheriff's department offers the following suggestions:

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- Choose a sober driver before starting to drink.

- Pay attention to the fact that if a person feels “buzzed,” they are likely over the .08 legal limit.

- Rather than drive while impaired, people should take taxis or ask a sober friend to drive.

- People should pay attention to taverns and restaurants that have programs that provide a safe ride home and visit www.tlw.org for more information in where these are located.

Although Dodge County is not participating in this particular program, the county has conducted alcohol enforcement in the town of Clyman earlier this year. “We also engage in saturation patrol programs,” Sheriff Todd Nehls said. “We have applied for grants through the state Department of Transportation's Bureau of Safety and we have been doing a lot of those this summer,” the sheriff said.

In January, the county department teamed up with the Wisconsin State Patrol and conducted an enhanced speed enforcement on U.S. Highway 151, south of Beaver Dam. The department received an additional $10,000 grant from the DOT for speed enforcement in the town of Lomira and the alcohol enforcement in the town of Clyman.