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Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently launched a crackdown on impaired drivers. The nationwide campaign, Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest. began Friday, August 18, 2006, and will be running through Labor Day.
According to the joint press release, the enforcement crackdown includes sobriety checkpoints, saturation patrols, and a national advertising blitz, as well as cooperation among law enforcement and advocacy agencies. As part of the campaign, NTHSA released the final 2005 statistics for alcohol-related fatalities. “The new statistics show that in 2005, there were 12,945 fatalities in crashes involving a driver or motocycle operator with a BAC of .08 or higher, the legal limit throughout the U.S. Fully 39 percent of all traffic deaths last year involved alcohol. All told, 16,885 people died in alcohol-related crashes.”
NHTSA Administrator Nicole Mason emphasized, “We’re taking the gloves off. This hard-hitting enforcement crackdown, coupled with a new nationwide advertising campaign, serve as a stern warning: If you drive drunk, you will be arrested.”
MADD’s national president Glynn Birch added, “Sobriety checkpoints and roving patrols absolutely deter drunk drivers and save lives — especially when combined with aggressive advertising. We salute law enforcement in communities nationwide for their commitment to keeping the roadways safe for everyone.”
