ENDUI Patrols and Checkpoint Planned in Mayes county

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol ENDUI team will partner with multiple agencies across Mayes county to conduct high-visibility patrols and a sobriety checkpoint.

Saturation patrols, also called high-visibility patrols, are planned in Pryor and Mayes County starting on Friday, Sept. 17 and running through the weekend. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol will be joined by the Mayes County Sheriff's Office, Pryor Police Department and the Grand River Dam Authority Police for these patrols.

Funding for this operation is provided in part by grants from the Oklahoma Highway Safety Office.

Many times, questions are raised about why checkpoints are announced to the public and why they only last a few hours. People think that by announcing the checkpoints, impaired drivers will make the choice to go around the area of the checkpoint to avoid detection. The Oklahoma Highway Safety Office and the ENDUI Oklahoma campaign think differently.

By announcing the location and times of the checkpoints, a perception of risk is created. People who may routinely drive impaired, or who are doing so for the first time, may think twice about that decision if they know that extra enforcement is in the area. This simple choice could save countless lives of drivers in Oklahoma, which is the focus of these events.

A DUI conviction can cost a driver up to $10,000 in Oklahoma and has serious repercussions for the person. Not only is it a financial risk to yourself, you could also be seriously injured or killed in a crash. Worse yet, an impaired driver has the potential to injure and kill innocent others.

In 2019, 338 people were killed in drug and/or alcohol-related crashes. None of these crashes were accidents; every death could have been prevented if the impaired driver had made the smart choice not to drive while under the influence.

Checkpoints will not be the only law enforcement activities focused on impaired drivers. Before, during, and after each checkpoint, additional law enforcement personnel are out in force looking for impaired drivers. These officers, deputies, and troopers are in the areas around the checkpoint, and across the area looking for impaired drivers.

Everyone is highly encouraged to find a safe ride by calling a sober driver, using a cab, Uber, Lyft or any other ride-share service. Better yet, have a designated driver. Have fun and enjoy life, but do not, under any circumstances, drive while impaired by alcohol or any other substance. The cost is too high.

The ENDUI enforcement team coordinates multi-jurisdictional events on a regular basis, including sobriety checkpoints and saturation patrols. These efforts are needed to impact Oklahoma’s impaired driving problem across the state. The locations of these activities are driven by data from the Oklahoma Highway Safety Office and by local request.