Saturday, November 7, 2009

BAT - Mobile Launched

Steve Juneau is pictured with Matthew Pryor, Special Agent in Charge and Danny Breuninger, Acting Associate Deputy Director - both of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Justice Services. The occasion is the launching of
two BAT-Mobiles in Billings, Montana. The units are the first in the nation to be deployed in Indian Country.

The two units represent the latest tool in an ongoing effort to reduce the number of alcohol-related fatalities on the state's reservations. According to the Montana Department of Transportation, American Indians comprise 6.2 percent of the state's population but they represent about 17 percent of the crash victims in the state and about 25 percent of alcohol-related fatalities.

The units will be used at traffic checkpoints, held especially during high-traffic times, such as holiday seasons and special events. It would allow more accurate DUI testing to be done on the spot, in a controlled setting.

Lamar Associates is currently engaged in a pilot project with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to develop an Indian Country highway safety information sharing and reporting platform.

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