Iowa Department of Public Safety
215 East 7th Street
Des Moines, Iowa 50319
www.dps.state.ia.us

Colonel Patrick J. Hoye, Chief

Iowa State Patrol Plans Second Ride Sober or Get Pulled Over Crackdown to Arrest Impaired Motorcycle Riders and Save Lives

Des Moines, IOWA --- For the second time this summer, the Iowa State Patrol will conduct a special "Ride Sober or Get Pulled Over" enforcement campaign to crack down on impaired motorcycle riders and to save more lives on Iowa’s roadways.

Special patrols on major highways and roads will be scheduled in conjunction with major motorcycle events such as the Across the Border Motorcycle Rally at the Taylor County Fairgrounds August 2-4, 2012. This is the second crackdown in two months. 

The Iowa State Patrol hopes a notable presence will encourage motorcycle riders, and all attending, to avoid risky driving behavior.  The Iowa State Patrol will also be monitoring traffic in and around motorcycles to ensure a safe event for all.   

“It takes coordination, balance and, most importantly, good judgment to ride a motorcycle.  All of these are compromised when someone is impaired,” said Patrol Sergeant Scott Bright.  “This is the second crackdown in two months.

In 2010, Iowa had 55 motorcycle riders killed in traffic crashes. Of those, 25 percent had BAC levels of .08 or above, and 33 percent had BAC levels of .01 or above.  Nationally, 42 percent of the 1,921 motorcycle riders who died in single-vehicle crashes in 2010 had BAC levels of .08 or higher.  On weekend nights, that figure jumps to 65 percent. 

“The solution is simple—if you plan to drink, do not plan to ride,” said Sergeant Bright. “Because whether you’ve had way too many or just one too many, it’s never worth the risk to ride impaired."

For more information on the "Ride Sober or Get Pulled Over" enforcement crackdown, please visit www.TrafficSafetyMarketing.gov.

For questions, please contact: Sgt. Scott Bright Iowa State Patrol 215 East 7th Street Des Moines, IA  50319-0248 Phone: 515-745-2863 bright@dps.state.ia.us

###

To enroll in the DPS E-mail Notification system simply log on to https://dpsemailnotify.iowa.gov and follow the instructions to enroll as a new user.