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Whit Johnson ReportingIf you drive drunk or without a seatbelt officers say they're going to catch you. In Salt Lake County they're hitting the roads in full force for their holiday emphasis patrol.
Seven different agencies in Salt Lake County are participating in the campaign to catch people driving drunk or without a seatbelt. It started last night with a bang and they plan to have more officers on the roads all the way through the first of the year.
Nine years working Utah highways and Trooper Jay Watkins has seen it all.
Trooper Jay Watkins, Utah Highway Patrol: "He rolled his vehicle, was ejected from the vehicle and obviously passed away."
Trooper Jay Watkins: "Any good reason why you're not wearing a seatbelt today?"
But now Trooper Watkins is part of a tough new emphasis in Salt Lake County.
Trooper Jay Watkins: "The passenger was wearing a seatbelt, the driver was not."
Last night alone the DUI patrol made 27 arrests and 24 impounds. A variation of these high numbers will continue for the next two weeks.
Trooper Jay Watkins: "Be able to have a good time and be able to enjoy their family and friends, but we also want to make sure that they get to their various destinations safely."
In 2005 there were 282 fatal accidents in Utah. In 208 of them people were not properly buckled up. In 21 of them the driver was impaired. The numbers explain themselves, but Trooper Watkins says the emphasis goes beyond writing tickets and taking people to jail. He hopes more officers on the roads means safer holidays for all.
Again this DUI/seatbelt emphasis continues through January first. On any given night there could be as many as 30 extra officers on the roads and more than that on big nights like Christmas and New Years Eve.
