17 Charged with DUI on Friday, no Serious Accidents

Seventeen people were charged with driving under the influence on the first night of stepped-up patrols by a statewide DUI task force launched for Labor Day weekend.

The state police said in addition to the 17 people arrested for DUI from Friday night through early Saturday morning, seven were charged with possession of alcohol by a minor.

Fortunately, there were no serious accidents overnight, though with spectacular weather expected through the entire weekend, police aren’t about to let down their guards.

At a Friday morning press conference, members of the task force along with victims of drunk driving crashes gathered to remind Rhode Islanders that the penalty for drinking drunk goes beyond the courtroom.

Police will have extra presence on the road and will be targeting drunk and aggressive drivers.

There were 342 crashes over Labor Day weekend last year and 20 percent resulted in serious injury.

The efforts are part of a national initiative to get control of the drunk driving problem.

Many are familiar with the “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over’ slogan. That campaign, along with Operation C.A.R.E. (Combined Accident Reduction Effort) are sponsored by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

If you see a dangerous driver, call 911 or *77 to alert police.