LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Officials say they’re seeing more fatal crashes on the roadway this year than last, and they’re hoping the return of their DUI prevention team will help curb this trend.
So far this year, 75 people have lost their lives on the roadway according to Metro Police. That’s compared to 60 people at the same time last year.
Of the 75 people that have died on the roads this year, about 20% involved impairment from either drugs or alcohol, police say.
To cut down those numbers, Metro recently brought back their DUI Strike Team. It’s a team that’s sole focus is preventing impaired driving.
“The thought process behind it is, if we remove impaired drivers from the roadway before they kill somebody, it will definitely make a pretty good improvement in our fatal numbers,” Lt. Anthony Cavaricci says.
Ten officers on the team patrol the roadways seven days a week, from the hours of 6 p.m. to 4 a.m., police say.
These officers specialize in finding impaired drivers, rather than responding to collisions.
Since the team was brought back on May 18, Cavaricci says they’ve already made about 60 DUI-related arrests.
“Those drivers are out there with us, on the roadway,” Cavaricci says. “It’s unnerving, I don’t know if you have children or not, but just to think about driving with your child and to get t-boned by a drunk driver is terrifying.”
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