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CITY, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) Area law enforcement and residents launched the “Neighbor Road Watch” program on June 15 in an effort to crack down on impaired driving.

The participating law enforcement agency doubled the number of contacts made with the public, compared to an alcohol-saturation night worked without “Neighbor Road Watch.”

Traffic Safety Program Coordinator Kasey Skalicky said, It’s a citizen DUI reporting program that uses trained volunteers to assist law enforcement in the detection of impaired drivers. The volunteers are sent out in pairs to alcohol-saturation areas and report suspected impaired drivers directly to law enforcement, which allows the officer to respond quickly to potential violations.

Skalicky said, the intention of “Neighbor Road Watch” is to encourage people to plan ahead and choose not to drink and drive because their potential of being caught is increased. The purpose is simple – to protect our community members by preventing impaired drivers from being on the roads.

Valley City Police Chief Fred Thompson said the display of the Deutscher car wreck below that claimed the lives of Aaron and Allison Deutscher, their infant daughter Brielle and Allison’s unborn child sent a clear message to many people about the dangers of drinking alcohol and getting behind the wheel of a vehicle.

Additional “Neighbor Road Watch” events are scheduled to take place in the southeast region of the state now through September.

Anyone interested in participating in the “Neighbor Road Watch” program is encouraged to contact the Traffic Safety Program at City-County Health District at 701-845-8518.