Missoula Increases Police Presence During Holidays to Stop DUI

Missoula Police and many other Montana agencies will be amping-up their DUI patrols this week in preparation for the holidays. Missoula Police Department Public Information Officer Travis Welsh has details.

"We are participating in an event that is actually statewide where law enforcement is engaged in extra patrols to help get drunk drivers off the road before tragedy strikes. As such , we are putting out some extra cars during the holiday season between December 16 and January 2.

Welsh says he hopes that the news about the extra patrols will be enough to keep people safe.

"The goal of this is public safety. We don't want people to be hurt needlessly and so many of our drunk driving tragedies could have been prevented," Welsh said. "That's where the education effort comes in. If people are just aware that the officers are out there, that may be enough to make people take a second look at their situation and find a safer way to get home."

Another sobering thought for holiday partiers: according to Mothers against Drunk Driving there were 92 Drunk driving fatalities in Montana last year. That represents nearly half of all traffic fatalities.