“If You Feel Different—You Drive Different”
About Us
The Rhode Island Police Chiefs Association oversees the Impaired Driving Engagement Council (IDEC), which is designed to guide Rhode Island’s community and statewide efforts to eliminate impaired driving. The IDEC is aligned with both the RI State Highway Safety Plan and community-level priorities.
The USDOT/NHTSA has designated the State of Rhode Island as a mid-range state. A mid-range state is defined as one with an average impaired driving fatality rate that is higher than 30 percent and lower than 60 percent of total crash fatalities as compared to other states. The designation affects how federal impaired driving funds can be used to eliminate the incidence of impaired driving and the fatalities and injuries that result.
Mission Statement
The mission of the Impaired Driving Engagement Council is to promote the use of effective countermeasures in support of the impaired driving goals and objectives of the State of Rhode Island. The Impaired Driving Engagement Council will include a diverse group of stakeholders and partners from different agencies, organizations, and disciplines that bring different perspectives and experiences to the task force.
1. Developing better data systems for tracking the problem
2. Creating active communications between key agencies and stakeholders
3. Legislative issues
4. Enforcement strategies
5. Criminal justice processing changes
6. Equality issues that are involved in DUI processes
7. Treatment of DUI offenders
8. Strategies that have the potential to reduce impaired driving and initiatives for curbing underage drinking
Key Issues
Overall Objectives
1. To identify specific impaired driving problems in the state
2. To make reccommendations to reduce impaired driving in the state
3. To identify and overcome obstacles impeding effective countermeasures in the state
4. To identify and address any unintended consequences that may result from proposed actions
5. To provide a network of communications and cooperation among the various stakeholders
6. To examine and then adopt vision zero preferred and doable measures as decided by counsil members and RIPCA leadership
Meetings of the Council
The IDEC conducts six (6) bi-monthly meetings per year, ensuring a diverse participation from law enforcement, community organizations, state agencies, public health partners, advocacy groups, and the judicial system.
Community Service
The Coordinator of the Council schedules and presents a minimum of 24 Impaired Driving presentations to service clubs and businesses, and organizes a cadre of existing highway safety advocates and trainers to team-teach community-based trainings on the dangers and results of impaired driving that target a wide range of the driving public.
