Free Republic

HELENA, Mont. (AP) - A new policy requires state troopers to stop at least one vehicle an hour, but the driver need not be ticketed, and the chief said the rule steers clear of an anti-quota law. Col. Paul Grimstad said the rule, which took effect Monday, is intended to reduce traffic accidents and drunken driving. Montana had the highest number of alcohol-related deaths per miles traveled in a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration report released in December 2003. Officers and sergeants now average 0.88 stops an hour while patrolling highways, Grimstad said. A state law passed this year bars...