ARKANSAS, USA — As Independence Day approaches, local and state police are taking extra measures to keep the roads safe, and they urge people to do their part by drinking responsibly.
“The Fourth of July is one of those big holidays where a lot of accidents occur with impaired drivers,” said Sergeant Anthony Murphy with Fayetteville Police Department.
Fayetteville authorities are joining the Washington County Sheriff’s Office and Arkansas State Police in putting extra officers out on patrol this week.
Murphy says this is part of a DWI mobilization taking place through July 4.
“We do these mobilizations around the holidays for a reason,” Murphy said. “And that's because there are more people off work, and they don't have to work the next day, so they do tend to partake in intoxicating beverages or intoxicating substances during these holiday seasons.”
Murphy says there are many reasons why you should never drive under the influence, but the most important reason is to keep people safe.
“That’s why we're out there. We're trying to keep people safe on the roadways,” Murphy said. “We don't like putting people in jail, but we sometimes have to, to keep people safe.”
As a reminder, if you do need to call a rideshare service this week, you could get your ride home for free:
During the 2022 New Year’s celebrations, 5NEWS spoke with Cottrell Law Office in Rogers about their Free Sober Holiday Rides program.
The firm provides ride reimbursement for several holidays, including Independence Day.
“I thought it was a way to give back to the community and give them an option,” Wesley Cottrell said back in January. “Especially with Uber and Lyft, there’s no reason you shouldn't call the service.”
More information about the Free Sober Holiday Rides can be found on the Cottrell Law Office website.
Sergeant Murphy says with all of the options available, there is never an excuse to drink and drive.
“Let’s give those people some business and call them this Fourth of July weekend and have a sober driver driving you around,” Murphy said.
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