Falls Police Mobilizing "Booze and Belts" Campaign

To prevent traffic crashes and keep the upcoming holiday season from becoming a time of tragedy, the will mobilize for the statewide “Booze and Belts” campaign from Dec. 9 to 17.

“Our officers will be out in force during the Booze and Belts mobilization to prevent needless traffic deaths and injuries by arresting drunken drivers and enforcing the mandatory safety belt law,” said Police Chief Anna Ruzinski.

Law enforcement agencies are cracking down on impaired and unbuckled motorists.

Last year in Wisconsin, there were more than 40,000 convictions for drunken driving.

“If you drive drunk you are risking arrest, fines, possible jail time and having to install an ignition interlock device on every vehicle you own, have registered in your name, or drive,” Ruzinski said. “You also are risking your life and the lives of others on the road.”

Furthermore, there were nearly 120,000 convictions for failure to fasten safety belts, which was the second most frequent traffic conviction in 2010.

“Our goal is not to make more drunken driving arrests or write more safety belt tickets. We are striving to save lives and prevent injuries, so we hope that people will voluntarily decide to buckle up and drive sober. But if they don’t, our intensified enforcement will increase the risks of getting caught,” Ruzinski said. “We will pursue our enforcement and education efforts until we attain our ultimate goal of zero preventable traffic deaths in Wisconsin.”