Vermont Alliance for Highway Safety at Champlain Valley Fair

For Immediate Release:

Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutors (TSRP) from the Department of State’s Attorneys and Sheriffs joined their partners in the Vermont Alliance for Highway Safety in the North Expo Center at the Champlain Valley Fair throughout the annual event. Our partners included the State Highway Safety Office, Chittenden & Rutland County Sheriff’s Departments, Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles, Vermont State Police (VSP), Essex Police Department, Randolph Police Department, South Burlington Police Department, Shelburne Police Department, Willison Police Department, Vermont Motorcycle Ride Coaches, Vermont Child Passenger Safety Program, Vermont Driver Traffic Safety Education Association, Vermont Safe Driver Program and Red Ribbon, and Monty the VSP cruiser.

“Monty”

“As a part of our federal funding we are required to engage and educate the public on matters related to impaired driving,” said TSRP Dennis Wygmans. He and fellow TSRP, Matthew Dolezal, interacted with hundreds of Fair attendees over the course of the annual event, answering questions about Vermont Driving Under the Influence (DUI) law and how alcohol and other drugs may impair a person. Aided using goggles which mimic some of the ocular affects people can experience when they consume alcohol or cannabis, the TSRP’s had folks attempt to sink beanbags in an unofficial cornhole setup while explaining how alcohol and THC, one of the psychoactive ingredients in cannabis, can affect a person’s vision acuity, perception, and reaction times.

The Sheriffs were represented by members of the Chittenden County Sheriff’s Department who controlled the tumbler car, which illustrates what can occur when a person is in a rollover crash without wearing their seatbelt.

- Deputy Sheriff Jon Marcoux runs the tumbler for TSRP Matthew Dolezal and unidentified Fair attendees.