During the twelve hour operation, area law enforcement made 84 traffic stops, issued 6 speeding citations, 4 seat belt citations, 23 other citations and issued 50 warnings. There were no traffic fatalities reported during the enforcement period in Sweetwater County.

Sweetwater County law enforcement agencies are working together in 2017 as part of a county-wide, multi-agency seat belt and DWUI enforcement operation, “Zero Deaths, Zero DUIs.” The St. Patrick’s Day operation was the second of a planned six operations in Sweetwater County for 2017. Operations continue next with May Mobilization, starting May 14 through 31.

The purpose of the enhanced enforcement operation is to educate drivers and passengers about DWUI laws and the importance of buckling up. Law enforcement looks to enforce the state’s zero-tolerance stance toward impaired driving and to remind people it’s never safe to drive impaired.

Agencies staffing the Sweetwater County operation include the Wyoming Highway Patrol, Rock Springs Police Department, Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office and the Green River Police Department.

According to the Wyoming Highway Patrol, there have been 19 traffic deaths in Wyoming during 2017, compared to 10 at this time in 2016.

Along with the ongoing enhanced enforcement effort, the Wyoming Highway Patrol is urging drivers to help keep Wyoming’s roadways safe by calling the Report Every Drunk Driver Immediately (REDDI) hotline number at 1-800-442-9090 to report suspected drunk drivers. Callers should be prepared to provide the dispatcher with a description of the vehicle, its location, and direction of travel.

Funding for the impaired driving, seat belt campaign is possible through a federal grant secured by the Wyoming Department of Transportation’s highway safety office.