MADD North Texas Reminds Public: Law Enforcement Doesn't Take Labor Day Off
Texas Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest. Effort in Full Force, Cracking Down on Drunk Driving
ARLINGTON, Texas, Aug. 28 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) North Texas and Texas law enforcement agencies today kicked off a major drunk driving crackdown as part of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) national crackdown: Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest.
MADD North Texas is working with NHTSA, the Texas Department of Transportation, the Arlington, Dallas and Fort Worth Police Departments to implement tough enforcement of drunk driving laws.
The timing for the crackdown is significant because Labor Day, a holiday celebrated throughout the nation with parties and parades, has unfortunately become notorious as a day when thousands of drivers make the deadly decision to drive drunk.
"We're giving Texas drivers fair warning: if you drive drunk this Labor Day, you will be handcuffed, arrested and put in jail," warned Dr. Theron Bowman, chief of the Arlington Police Department. "This isn't just about following the law; it's about making streets safer. We've seen the needless and gruesome crash scenes first hand, and we don't want to see any more. High-visibility enforcement helps save lives and prevent injuries."
Alcohol-related traffic deaths are higher than at any time since 1997. In Texas alone, more than 1,354 people were killed in 2006 by a drunk driver with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher. This past year, nearly 13,500 people across the nation were killed in drunk driving crashes in which the driver had a BAC of .08 or higher, according to the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) data from NHTSA.
"Drunk driving is one of our nation's deadliest crimes and we're working with our partners to eliminate it from our roadways" said NHTSA Deputy Jim Ports. "We need to come up with new solutions to solve the problem that address fatality numbers that have been too stagnant for too long".
Research has shown that highly publicized, highly visible enforcement of drunk driving laws reduce alcohol-related crashes and fatalities by an average of 20 percent. Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest. combines the mobilization of thousands of law enforcement agencies in all 50 states with an $11 million national advertising campaign to deliver the message that if you drive drunk, you will be arrested.
"There's just no excuse for driving drunk," said Mary Kardell, executive director of MADD North Texas. "Together with Texas law enforcement, we are diligently working toward a future without drunk driving crimes."
High-visibility enforcement, a proven method to reduce the number of deaths and injuries caused by drunk driving, is one of the four components of MADD's Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving. MADD's vision is to make it literally impossible for people to drive drunk. The other elements include: mandatory ignition interlocks for all convicted drunk drivers, development of advanced vehicle technology to detect and stop drunk drivers, and mobilization of grassroots support.
"This much is clear: Aggressive enforcement of drunk driving laws reduces the number of injuries and deaths caused by this reckless behavior," Chief Bowman said. "Together, we can make Texas roadways safer for everyone."
NHTSA's national crackdown is conducted in partnership with MADD, the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) and the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP).
About MADD
Founded in 1980, MADD's mission is to stop drunk driving, support the victims of this violent crime and prevent underage drinking. MADD is a 501c(3) non-profit, grassroots organization with approximately 400 affiliates and 2 million members and supporters nationwide. The organization's trained victim advocates served more than 46,000 victims/survivors last year and has helped save more than 330,000 lives since its founding. For more information, please visit www.madd.org or call (800) GET-MADD.