INFORMATION RELEASE

The Juneau Police Department is participating in the National ?Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over? Crackdown

The Juneau Police Department, working in conjunction with The Alaska Highway Safety Office, will be doing increased DUI enforcement in the upcoming weeks. Funding for the high visibility enforcement was provided in part by grant sources distributed through Alaska Highway Safety Office.

JPD will be conducting additional patrols focused on looking for impaired driving. The enhanced enforcement starts this weekend and runs through September 3, 2012. Citizens are reminded that driving under the influence is not just for people who?ve had too much to drink. DUI also applies to people who have taken medication, or illegal drugs, that have impaired their driving abilities.

The goal of the high visibility enforcement is to deter motorists from getting behind the wheel while impaired. These high visibility patrols are one of the ways JPD is combating the issue.

A first-time DUI costs an estimated $14,265 on average, according to the Alaska Department of Motor Vehicles, including $330 for jail time, $1,500 in court fines, $250 in sentencing fees, up to $600 in impound fees, $1,300 for an ignition interlock device, as well as attorney fees, license reinstatement fees, education compliance fees and a host of other charges.

That doesn?t include a high-risk insurance policy ? up to $2,000 per year ? that DUI offenders are required to carry for three to five years.

Sentencing depends on your record and other variables, but you can count on at least three days in jail, loss of your license, mandatory victims? and education programs, up to 12 months with an ignition interlock device and 10 points on your driving record. A DUI conviction is on your record forever.

The Juneau Police Department encourages you to have a designated driver who does not drink or an alternate ride before you go out drinking.