BOISE, Idaho — A lot of people are hitting the roads this Christmas Eve, hoping to make it to their destination in time to open gifts. Prepare to see an increase in Boise police patrol up until the beginning of January as you head to your holiday destinations.
- BPD shares common issues seen on roads during the holiday season.
- Boise Police will increase patrol up until the beginning of January focusing on impaired, distracted, and aggressive driving.
- Make sure your seat belt is on, no distracted driving like texting or messing with the radio, and obey the speed limit.
(Below is the transcript from the broadcast story)
We spoke to the Boise Police Department about how they address this increase in traffic and impaired driving during the busy holiday season.
"Put that seat belt on, put the distraction down, and focus on the act of driving," says Kyle Wills, Corporal with the Boise Police Motorcycle Unit.
Between now and into the New Year you'll see more Boise police on the road.
"The Boise Police Department works very closely with the Idaho Office of Highway Safety, and they have provided some funding for us to have increased patrols on our roadways," says Corporal Wills.
Officers will be focusing on impaired, distracted, and aggressive driving.
He says, "We are going to have more officers on the street specifically looking for those kinds of violations and doing extra increased enforcement, in order to keep our drivers safe."
Corporal Kyle Wills with the Boise Police Motorcycle Unit says the weekend before Christmas and into the New Year is when they see an increase in impaired driving.
He says, "More people are getting together; they're having parties, they're having work parties and family parties and so there is more social interaction with people and so we start seeing that impaired driving go up in spike over those holiday seasons."
Corporal Wills says impaired driving doesn't have a set age range; officers see ages from teenagers to those in their 70s.
"It's really a mindset and a decision every individual person needs to make ahead of time not to drive impaired, to have that plan of how they're going to get to their destination if they are impaired," says Corporal Wills.
If you're hitting the road, no matter if it's down the road or hours away make sure your seat belt is on, no distracted driving like texting or messing with the radio, and obey the speed limit.
