Sergeant Marc Maddalena from The Pittsfield Police Department had a chance to sit down with us Thursday morning for an on-air discussion and/or reminder that patrols will be and have been increased, at least in the latter half of December, to deter intoxicated driving.

As part of the high-visibility enforcement efforts, law enforcement officers nationwide will be going the extra mile in their communities from December 14 through January 1 to get impaired drivers off the roads, with efforts such as sobriety checkpoints and community outreach. -nhtsa.gov

Drunk Driver being pulled over by police cops with copy-space.
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Maddalena said that usually, on any normal day, there are about six or seven cruisers on patrol within the city. During this "high visibility" campaign there will be more like nine or ten.

The goal is not to necessarily to proactively arrest people, but to prevent impaired driving. Yes, this means driving while high on cannabis, too. Intoxicated driving is intoxicated driving and is not specific to alcohol.

So expect, especially over the holidays, to see more Pittsfield Police on the city's main (heavily traveled) streets looking for impaired drivers.

“Making a plan for a safe, sober ride home is critical to saving lives this holiday season,” said NHTSA Acting Administrator Ann Carlson. “I urge everyone to do their part to end these preventable tragedies by always driving sober, designating a sober driver, using public transportation or calling a taxi or ride-hailing service.”

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