Maryland Debuts Five-Month Statewide Sobriety Checkpoint 'Dragnet'

              Checkpoint Strikeforce Campaign Means Sobriety
                    Checkpoints Every Week, Everywhere

             In 2004, 239 Alcohol-Related Traffic Fatalities
                  Occurred in Maryland, up 34% from 2003

  WHAT:   On Tuesday, August 16 at 10:00 a.m., Maryland will kick off a 5-
          month, statewide campaign to raise public awareness about the
          dangers of drunk driving.  Through the end of the year, Maryland
          will hold a minimum of one sobriety checkpoint each week and
          dedicate each one to a victim of drunk driving -- providing an
          avenue for families of victims to share their experiences.

          Illustrating the often-tragic outcomes of drunk driving, Dr.
          Thomas Scalea, Head of Trauma Services at the R Adams Cowley Shock
          Trauma Center in Baltimore will discuss his experiences of saving
          and repairing lives in the aftermath of this 100 percent
          preventable crime.  The R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center is
          nationally renowned for its expertise in treating highway crash
          victims.

          A convicted drunk driver from Dorchester County who, after a night
          of drinking with friends, lost control of his vehicle and killed a
          15-year-old girl will discuss the life-ending and life-altering
          consequences of drunk driving.

          The Maryland Checkpoint Strikeforce campaign is part of a wider
          Mid-Atlantic States initiative, which effectively erases borders
          between jurisdictions in fighting drunk driving.  The local
          campaign is supported by a grant from the Maryland Highway Safety
          Office.

          New polling data on the public's attitudes about impaired driving
          and sobriety checkpoints will be released.

          GREAT VISUALS: Press conference to take place directly in front of
          the active Baltimore trauma center.

          Guest speakers include:
          Neil Pedersen, Administrator, Maryland State Highway
           Administration
          Dave Hugel, Administrator, Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration
          Bill Tower, Law Enforcement Liaison, National Highway Traffic
           Safety Administration
          Dr. Thomas Scalea, Physician-in-Chief, R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma
           Center
          Colonel Debbie Owens, Chief of Patrol, Baltimore City Police
           Department
          Edward Myers, Personal profile on how drunk driving impacted a
           young girl and her family's life and changed his life forever

  WHEN:   Tuesday, August 16, 2005
          * 10:00 a.m.:  News conference spotlighting injury and death that
            occurs in drunk driving incidents.  A kick-off to Maryland's
            Checkpoint Strikeforce campaign.

  WHERE:  R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore
          Corner of Lombard Street and Penn Street
          Baltimore, Maryland 21201
          For directions click on http://www.umm.edu/gethere/
   
   Garage parking available at Baltimore Grand Garage on Paca Street,
   between Baltimore and Fayette Streets.

PRNewswire -- Aug. 11