OSP troopers double Halloween DUII arrests

In comparison to last year's Halloween night, Oregon State Police troopers doubled the number of DUII arrests during a 12-hour period between 6 p.m., Saturday and 6 a.m. Sunday.

OSP troopers were involved in a statewide and national cooperative law enforcement campaign called “Drunk Driving Over the Limit. Under Arrest” that started Oct. 25 and ran through Halloween night. 

This year during the 12-hour period, OSP troopers reported 31 DUII arrests.  Last year, troopers reported 15 DUII arrests. The arrests included two in the La Grande area.

The OSP said Halloween is a particularly deadly night due to impaired drivers.

The Oregon Department of Transportation’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System data reveals that 90 percent of the 10 fatalities on Halloween night between 1998 and 2008 in Oregon occurred in alcohol or drug-involved traffic crashes.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2008, 58 percent of all highway fatalities across the nation on Halloween night last year involved a driver or a motorcycle rider with a blood alcohol concentration of .08 or higher, which is illegal in every state.

OSP troopers investigated no fatal traffic crashes during this year’s holiday.

In support of the law enforcement efforts, ODOT variable message signs posted a message to motorists to “Drive Sober. Save lives this Halloween.”