The Metropolitan Police Department is stepping up traffic enforcement and education this summer as the District of Columbia surpasses a 50% increase in traffic fatalities when compared to this time last year.
Across the nation, the leading cause of deaths involving motor vehicles is driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. As the District of Columbia continues to work towards eliminating all fatal and serious injury crashes through the citywide Vision Zero initiative, MPD is focused on making sure drivers stay safe while on the roads and addressing drivers who put others at risk.
Over the past few weeks, each of MPD’s seven districts have assigned officers on each shift to focus solely on traffic enforcement and drivers who are under the influence, distracted, or driving in an unsafe manner.
“Our officers are not simply out there to write tickets,” said Interim Chief of Police Ashan Benedict. “We have tasked them with educating drivers about their unsafe behavior and many interactions may end with simply a warning.”
This weekend, MPD will be expanding our focus on traffic safety by conducting a high-visibility Traffic Safety Compliance Checkpoint between 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. on Friday, June 16, and Saturday, June 17 in the 4600 block and 4700 blocks of South Capitol Street, Southwest.
The primary purpose of MPD’s Traffic Safety Compliance Checkpoint checkpoints is to promote public safety by taking suspected impaired drivers off the road. MPD reminds the public that impaired driving is not just from alcohol. While medicinal and recreational marijuana are legal, driving under the influence of marijuana is illegal.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), checkpoints have provided the most effective documented results of any of the DUI enforcement strategies. MPD plans to continue focusing on traffic safety throughout the summer and additional Traffic Safety Compliance Checkpoints are being planned.
If you plan on drinking or utilizing substances that can affect your ability to drive, please take these precautions to help keep our community safe:
- Always use a designated driver – a friend who is not drinking or otherwise impaired, ride-share, cab or public transportation – to get home.
- Walking while impaired is also dangerous. Have someone sober walk you home or stay with you until a sober driver is available to pick you up.
- Report impaired drivers – Call 911.
- Hosting a party? Offer nonalcoholic drinks. Monitor who is drinking and how they are getting home.
During this weekend’s Traffic Safety Compliance Checkpoint, MPD officers will also be on the lookout for unsafe and distracted drivers and will educate drivers on other observed violations so they can stay safe on our roadways.
If you see someone driving unsafely, call 9-1-1 immediately.
The Metropolitan Police Department is committed to our partnerships with National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the District Department of Transportation, and US Department of Transportation to make the roadways in our communities a safe place for everyone.