Extra Law Enforcement To Patrol Roads Over Holiday Weekend

Tomorrow is New Year's Eve, and state officials are urging motorists to stay sober while behind the wheel. Louisiana Highway Safety Commission director Col. John LeBlanc says, as with other holidays, extra law enforcement will be on state roadways--to discourage drunk driving. LeBlanc says there will be 50 or more randomly placed sobriety checkpoints starting on New Years's Eve, and it will be another "no refusal weekend" for those asked to blow into a breathalyzer. Leblanc says increased public awareness seems to be helping to reduce drunk-driving deaths over the holidays. (He says nearly half of all highway fatalities in Louisiana are alcohol-related. LeBlanc says stay overnight if you've had a few drinks, take a taxicab or have a designated driver.)