Allentown, PA – The Lehigh Valley Highway Safety Task Force will conduct impaired driving enforcement operations throughout the Labor Day Holiday weekend to ensure the safety of all motorists. The enforcement is part of an enforcement wave that runs from August 18 through September 6.

These operations include sobriety checkpoints and roving DUI patrols. In addition to protecting roadways from drivers impaired by alcohol, law enforcement will be on the lookout for drivers impaired by drugs and other substances.   This is the 21st year the Lehigh Valley Highway Safety Task Force has been in existence, and to date, hundreds of enforcement activities have been conducted. There have been thousands of individuals tested for DUI and subsequently arrested for driving under the influence.

The task force is comprised of dozens of police departments throughout the Lehigh Valley, along with PennDOT, the business community, and health care representatives.

Additionally, the task force is committed to reducing the number of impaired driving crashes, injuries, and fatalities in Lehigh and Northampton counties.

Methods used to achieve this goal include:

• Educating the public on the Pennsylvania Vehicle Code and DUI laws; • Deterring motorists from driving after consuming alcohol or drugs; and • Apprehending those who violate the laws of the Commonwealth.

The operations are funded partly by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s statewide distribution of federal funds from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Media contact: Sean A. Brown, sebrown@pa.gov, 610-871-4556

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