The head of the state police union Rick Brown is calling for additional officials to help take impaired drivers off the road:

“We need extra patrols out there looking for drunk drivers, especially in the summer. If we put more saturation patrols in these areas, maybe you start taking some of these drivers off the roads.’’

– Rick Brown

In the past few weeks four state police troopers have been injured and one killed while on duty. All five accidents took place between midnight and 2:30 a.m., and in four of these instances the drivers now face drunken driving charges. Police are still seeking a suspect in the fifth case. A report from the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund shows the number of police officers killed in traffic accidents has risen 35% from this time last year.

Massachusetts hopes a saturation of officers will help to deter intoxicated persons from driving. Troopers have urged their superiors to increase enforcement during peak drinking and driving hours, especially Friday and Saturday nights along the free ways.

If a driver is caught with a BAC above the legal limit, serious consequences will follow:

• On the first offense Massachusetts drunk driving laws mandate a fine from $500 to $5,000 and/ or face up to  two and a half years in prison after driving with a blood-alcohol-content of .08 or more. Not only will you face these hardships, but your license will be suspended for a full year.

• On your second offense the consequences are more sever. A second conviction comes with: guaranteed jail time of at least 60 days no more than two and a half years, fine of $6,000 – $10,000, suspended license for 2 years, and an interlock device installed in your car. If the first offense consequences didn’t deter you from drunk driving, the second offense punishment should.

Drinking and driving is a serious danger for anyone involved, officials are hopeful the additional measures will help to reduce the number of impaired drivers on the road.