RI Police Depts Cracking Down On Impaired Driving This New Year's

PORTSMOUTH, RI — This New Year's Eve, police departments across the state are stepping up patrols in an effort to prevent injuries and deaths due to impaired driving. In several cities and towns, families and friends of drunk driving victims will ride along with police to honor their memory.

In Portsmouth, patrols will be in honor of Elizabeth Durante and Thomas Kenney. The program is part of a collaboration with Mothers Against Drunk Driving, aimed at taking "a 20/20 approach to ELIMINATE Impaired Driving."

"The intent of this program is to honor victims who lost their lives, or who were tragically injured, due to an impaired driving crash," the department wrote. "The memorial rides will also raise the public’s awareness of the senseless, 100 percent preventable, crime of drunk and drugged driving."

Over the past year, 58 people have died in crashes on Rhode Island roadways. While the exact percentage of how many were due to impaired driving has not yet been released, Rhode Island is usually above the national average. In 2018, 34 percent of the state's fatal crashes involved impaired drivers.

The department urged partygoers to be safe this New Year's Eve and follow these tips:

• Make a plan to get home safely before drinking.
• Assign a designated driver, call a friend or call a cab or ridesharing service to get home safely.
• Never drive after drinking alcohol.

Narragansett police will also be stepping up patrols, the department announced Tuesday morning. Thanks to grants from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there will be extra patrols on South County roads in an effort to cut down on drunken driving.