As of Wednesday, Delaware’s traffic fatalities stand at 167. This is up from 137 last year, and Delaware State Police are urging people to drive sober on New Year's Eve to prevent an end-of-year spike in deaths on the road.
DSP spokesperson Sr. Cpl. Leonard DeMalto says 30% of all fatal accidents in 2021 involved alcohol.
"We had two fatal accidents in Delaware where 2 people died," he says. "And 31 accidents in Delaware that had injuries with 55 people injured all together in the state, and that’s just for New Years Eve.”
DeMalto says DSP will have an increased presence on the roads looking for impaired drivers.
“Our troopers are proactively looking for these types of drivers on the road, but we’re also asking members of the community to do what they can do to proactively drive safely this holiday weekend. So that includes limiting distractions while you’re driving in the car. No cell phone use, stay focused on the road and what’s in front of you, minimize the use of the radio and GPS, things like that.”
DeMalto adds slowing down and wearing a seatbelt could also save lives – and in terms of legal consequences, each offense carries a greater price.
“Delaware takes DUI very seriously," he says. "For your first DUI, you could face up to one year incarceration, with a fine of $500-$1500.”
A second offense is a minimum 2 month prison sentence and further escalating fines of $750-$2500, and a third offense becomes a felony with a minimum 1 year prison sentence with up to $5,000 in fines.
To avoid these consequences, and potentially save lives, DeMalto advises those who are celebrating this year to choose a designated driver to stay sober, or take an Uber or Lyft to their destination.
