The Richland County DUI Task Force needs your help this holiday season. Across Montana local and state law enforcement agencies are doing their part to combat the number of alcohol related crashes in our communities. At record numbers, alcohol establishments are stressing the importance of responsible alcohol service, discouraging patrons from excessive consumption of alcohol and ultimately getting behind the wheel of a vehicle, but they cannot do it alone!
Based on recent studies, Richland County had the highest BACs average of 0.274 for those arrested for DUI. Montana had the second highest alcohol-impaired fatality rate in the nation and double the national rate. With an estimated 989,415 Montanans stretched across 146,000 square miles, Montana faces distinctly rural challenges and with the lower percentage of population concentration on the east side of the state Richland County faces even tougher challenges. Eighty per cent of travel is on rural roads. We also have much longer emergency response times due to distance factors; the average response time in Massachusetts is about 20 minutes, while in Montana it’s an hour and 20 minutes. Subsequently, a crash in Montana is far more likely to be life-threatening.
We jointly can do our part to keep our kids and communities safe. Here are some tips to make our holidays safer:
Plan ahead: Whenever you plan to consume alcohol, designate your sober driver before going out and give that person your car keys.
If you are impaired, call a friend or family member to get you home safely.
Richland County Transportation will provide rides during standard operating hours – Call 433-RIDE (7433)
Promptly report intoxicated or distracted drivers to law enforcement.
Sincerely,
Members of the Richland County DUI Task Force
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