Falls Police Cracking Down on Drunken Driving for the Holiday

You always want to think twice about getting behind the wheel if you've had any alcoholic beverages. However, you'll want to think twice - maybe three times - this week, or you may find yourself in some bad luck on St. Patrick's Day weekend. 

To combat drunken driving and increase safety belt use, the Menomonee Falls Police Department has intensified its traffic safety enforcement since March 4 and will continue to do so through March 20, which includes the St. Patrick’s Day weekend.  Other police agencies across the state are increasing their efforts during this same timeframe.

The increased enforcement is part of a $20,000 grant that Menomonee Falls received from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation Bureau of Transportation Safety.

“During the St. Patrick’s Day mobilization and throughout the year, we are striving to prevent motorists from killing and injuring themselves and others on our roadways. Although we’re trying to increase voluntarily compliance with traffic laws—not to write more tickets or make more arrests—we will take enforcement action if voluntary compliance fails,” stated Police Chief Anna Ruzinski in a news release Tuesday.

“We are serious about traffic safety enforcement because far too many needless deaths and serious injuries are due to drunken driving and not wearing safety belts. Our goal is to reduce preventable traffic deaths to zero in Wisconsin because even one preventable traffic fatality is one too many.”