Custom Van to Fight DWI in New Hampshire

Police to use special vehicle at sobriety checkpoints across the state.

A coordinator with the New Hampshire Highway Safety Agency announced the purchase of a specialized van that will act as mobile booking station. The agency provided funds for the $450,000 vehicle that will be used to expedite the processing and booking of motorists suspected of driving while intoxicated in New Hampshire.

The customized van has two jail cells, a bathroom, breath testing equipment, computer and room for a bail bondsman and a drug recognition person. The vehicle will be deployed at sobriety checkpoints across the state, beginning in the Portsmouth area on November 7. The intent is to reduce the time it takes to process an arrest for drunk driving by doing it at the checkpoint. The HSA said the van could also be utilized in times of emergency as a mobile command center.

Local law enforcement agencies will only have to pay for the gas for the van, so it is anticipated that more communities will request its use. One police chief says that the objective is not to catch people but to change people’s attitudes about drinking and driving.

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