A Warning From Lewiston Police – Drunk Driver Checkpoints Are Ramping Up This Month

Hundreds of Mainers get arrested each year for driving under the influence. And while the number of fatalities due to drunk driving has gone down, the number of OUI arrests in Maine is still too high and has actually gone up during the pandemic. So let it be known that our heroes at the Lewiston Police Department are ramping up their efforts to find drunk drivers. They had to legally notify the community on their Facebook page this week:

The Lewiston Police Department will intensify their patrol across the city during the upcoming weeks as part of a statewide "Drive Sober or Get Pulled-Over" enforcement operation, supported by the Maine Bureau of Highway Safety.
As part of this campaign, we must notify the public of our increased enforcement. This enforcement may include officers strictly focusing on impaired drivers, OUI checkpoints, and educational public service announcements.

Efforts like the one from the LPD have made a real difference in saving lives. In the 1980s, over 50% of all car fatalities were due to drinking and driving. That number is now down to 30%. Still too high, thus the increased OUI checkpoints. This is a good time for us to recommit ourselves to never driving intoxicated and that we should never let someone we know drive drunk.