Watertown Police Beefing Up Impaired Driving Patrols

WATERTOWN, MA – Watertown police will increase the number of patrols looking for impaired drivers on local roads, the department announced Thursday. The Watertown Police Department was recently awarded a special grant from the Highway Safety Division of the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security.

This year's campaign will urge drivers who plan on drinking or using marijuana to designate a sober driver ahead of time or use a ride-share app or public transportation.

"Impaired drivers create dangerous situations for everyone around them," Watertown Police Chief Michael Lawn said in a statement. "This grant will help increase our efforts during the busy summer travel season to keep our roads free of impaired drivers and avoid tragedy."

In Massachusetts, marijuana or marijuana-type drugs were the most prevalent substances found in people killed in crashes from 2011-2016, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. During roughly the same period, 45 percent of all alcohol-related driver fatalities were people ages 21-34.

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