Utah Highway Patrol targets Washington County for DUI enforcement

WASHINGTON COUNTY — If you noticed an exceptional amount of DUI arrests on the Washington County bookings page this weekend, you are not alone and can be proud of your rather observant eye. The bulk of DUI arrests is the result of the Utah Highway Patrol DUI Squad who paid a visit to Washington County this past Friday and Saturday night to target people driving under the influence.

Over the course of two days, the UHP DUI Squad nabbed 15 individuals for DUI and one person for not a drop, UHP spokeswoman Jalaine Hawkes said.

UHP troopers, during this sort of operation, do not alter their usual tactics to catch impaired drivers, but rather, the squad’s only job is targeting impaired drivers, Hawkes said. They don’t answer any other call, such as an accident, giving the squad a chance to focus on the specific task.

“The squad’s main purpose is to reduce alcohol-related fatalities,” Hawkes said. “Our goal is zero fatalities.”

The UHP DUI Squad visits various parts of Utah for two-day trips to implement the DUI enforcement coordinations. They don’t have a specific schedule but do contact the local agencies beforehand. They may design a plan when a city or town is hosting a special event or during holidays.

According to Utah State Legislature, under code 41-6a-502, “a person may not operate or be in actual physical control of a vehicle within this state if the person: has sufficient alcohol in the person’s body that a subsequent chemical test shows that the person has a blood or breath alcohol concentration of .08 grams or greater at the time of the test.”

When alcohol is consumed driving skills are impaired and the more alcohol consumed, the more impaired driving skills will be. Most states set the blood alcohol content limit for adults who drive after drinking at 0.08 or 0.10 percent, but impairment of driving skills begins at much lower levels.

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14 Comments

  • Koolaid November 16, 2014 at 7:35 pm

    Just watch out for that UHP guy Lars who speeds down River Road at 100mph.

    • Zonkerb November 17, 2014 at 3:17 am

      KOOLAID oh yeah he was flying down that road…..

      • Koolaid November 17, 2014 at 7:22 am

        Killed two women, too. Not long ago he was parked along the interstate and pulled out in traffic causing another accident.

  • PROTECT THE SHEEP November 16, 2014 at 10:13 pm

    15 drunks in 2 days? I’d say we need a permanent DUI squad here then, no?

  • shutup November 16, 2014 at 10:46 pm

    Koolaid you comment on every single post st.gerorge news puts up, and never are they positive or facts, they are opinionated and said to start conflict. You must not have anything better to do other then start stuff on a comments page on a news website. You live a sad life.

    • Koolaid November 17, 2014 at 7:23 am

      Any the value of your comment is??????

    • Zonkerb November 20, 2014 at 5:55 pm

      Maybe you should get a life or is it that you have some kind of gay thing going for KOOLAID

  • FYI November 17, 2014 at 6:33 am

    Koolaid lives in the basement of his mom house. Only thing he has is his computer.
    He can’t look at porno all day though he does try. So he gets on the comments page

    • tc rider November 17, 2014 at 10:24 am

      whats so bad about that? maybe there is a bunch of us that live in our moms basement, Do you have something against living in your moms basement and posting on these boards all day, could it be you are a city council member that votes against permits for dancing? ( or anything associated with having fun?)

      • Koolaid November 17, 2014 at 11:06 am

        Where am I supposed to go after FYI’s mom kicked me out because she wasn’t happy with my jewelry, said it was junk.

    • Zonkerb November 20, 2014 at 5:58 pm

      Oh you poor little thing you somebody made a poopoo in your sandbox and mommy isn’t there to clean it up

  • Teacher November 17, 2014 at 9:59 am

    Honestly, some of Koolaid’s comments are humorous. I wouldn’t want to see his comments deleted.

  • dancing infidel November 17, 2014 at 11:16 am

    I served this country proudly and honorably so that people like “NOTLAID”……I mean KOOLAID can make stupid comments that absolutely have no redeeming value whatsoever. I never agree with his comments, but would fight to the death for him to have the freedom to make them…..as absurd as they, and him are.

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