DUI patrols to increase for Halloween

COEUR d’ALENE — Law enforcement agencies of the North Idaho DUI Task Force are teaming up to help prevent impaired driving over the Halloween weekend.

Targeted DUI patrols will be out Friday and Saturday, with agencies across the region increasing enforcement to keep communities safe, according to a press release.

Halloween is a unique holiday, one that’s loved and celebrated by people of all ages in very different ways. From family trick-or-treating to late-night parties, it’s a time when both kids and adults fill the streets. That mix of festivities and foot traffic can be a dangerous combination when impaired driving is involved.

It’s also not uncommon for late-night trick-or-treaters to still be out when the adult party crowd heads home, the release said.

Drivers are urged to slow down, watch closely for pedestrians, avoid distractions and always stay sober behind the wheel.

Parents and pedestrians can do their part, too. Carry a flashlight or glow stick, wear reflective clothing, cross streets at corners or crosswalks and make sure costumes don’t block vision.

Everyone, drivers and trick-or-treaters alike, has a role in keeping Halloween fun and safe, the release said.

Formed in 2019, the North Idaho DUI Task Force is a collaborative effort to reduce alcohol-related fatalities and injuries across the region.

Active participating agencies include the Idaho State Police, Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office and the police departments of the Coeur d’Alene, Post Falls, Rathdrum and Spirit Lake areas.

Report all suspected impaired drivers by calling 911 or *ISP (*477).