Over Thanksgiving weekend, the Eugene and Springfield Police Departments partnered with the Oregon State Police to conduct focused patrols for impaired drivers. There was a predictable increase in the number of vehicles on the roads due to the holiday weekend, the Civil War football game, and Black Friday shopping events. Staffing was increased with the assistance of state grant funding to help keep local roads safe.
The agencies combined for 22 DUII arrests between Thursday night and early Sunday morning, and had several other arrests for Reckless Driving. 11 of the DUII arrests took place during the peak of the saturation effort on Friday night following the Civil War game. Officers stayed busy all weekend responding to reports of dangerous driving, and would like to thank the concerned citizens who called 911 to help identify impaired, fatigued, and distracted drivers. There were no reported serious injury crashes in the Eugene/Springfield area during the holiday weekend, and no fatalities.
With the holiday season in full swing, it’s important to remember to have a designated driver and to be prepared to stop friends and loved ones from driving impaired. PLAN AHEAD, don’t drive impaired, and don’t ride with an impaired driver.
It’s also important for motorists to be aware of traffic around them and that they may be sharing the road with intoxicated drivers.