MARQUETTE COUNTY — Beginning October 18, there will be extra law enforcement officials on the lookout for impaired drivers.

 

 

The Marquette County Sheriff’s Office met with ABC 10 to conduct an impaired driving simulation.

These goggles are part of a standardized sobriety test.

Law enforcement authorities performed this test as part of their campaign to promote safe and sober driving beginning October 18th until November 4th.

“The main goal is to keep the roadways safe, and to have drivers if they’re going out to celebrate or have a good time, to have a plan to get home” said Deputy Sheriff from the Marquette County Sheriff’s Office, Aaron Griffin.

Officials urge you to get home safely, whether it’s by cab or a designated driver.

Over the next two weeks, impaired driving will be made a priority for law enforcement agencies across the state of Michigan.

“Those that are working the grant, their job is strictly to enforce traffic violations and to get those impaired drivers off of the road” said the Deputy Sheriff.

It’s never OK to drive impaired.

In fact, in 2017, 17 people died and 172 people were injured in the Upper Peninsula alone from alcohol and/ or drug related traffic crashes.

The “drunk goggles” mimic a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level just over the legal limit at .10, causing disoriented vision and balance.

“Well the signs and symptoms can differentiate between drugs and alcohol. For alcohol, typically you’re going to see a slowed reaction time, thick–slurred speech, and the odor of intoxicants about them” said Griffin.

Driving impaired is something we all need to be cognizant of.

“Driving impaired, it’s going to delay your reaction time and you may think you have more time to make a maneuver in a vehicle, where as chances are you don’t” said the Deputy Sheriff. “And that can cost someone’s life. That’s our main goal here, is we want to make everybody safe.”

And as a reminder, DO NOT attempt to drive under the influence as there can be serious repercussions.