EchoHawk unveils BATmobile units

Batman drove his Batmobile to fight crime. Now, Larry EchoHawk is using four BATmobiles to combat drunken driving on American Indian reservations.

EchoHawk, the Utahn who is assistant interior secretary for indian affairs, announced Wednesday that the department purchased four, 40-foot-long BATmobiles (BAT stands for breath alcohol testing) at a cost of $300,000 each to help tribes "reduce injuries and save lives, especially during the upcoming holiday season."

The units each have an Intoxilyzer 8000 to precisely measure breath-alcohol levels, a containment cell to transport suspects, and an interior camera to produce court-quality videos of the testing process.

The vehicles will be based in Montana, New Mexico and Oklahoma, but are intended to serve 77 federally recognized tribes with a combined population of 580,000 in seven states.

EchoHawk called them an "important effort to protect Indian country's residents and visitors."

The BATmobiles will be used by tribal law enforcement during the upcoming "Don't Shatter the Dream" effort against impaired driving in Indian country, which will run from Dec. 21 to Jan. 3.

EchoHawk's office said that 57 percent of Native American traffic fatalities between 2002 and 2006 involved an alcohol-impaired driver.

— Lee Davidson