Maryland Law Enforcement Launches ‘Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest’ Crackdown on August 21, 2009

BALTIMORE--The Maryland Chiefs of Police Association today announced that Maryland law enforcement agencies will be out in full force during the Labor Day holiday period, beginning August 21. They will join thousands of other law enforcement and highway safety agencies within the Atlantic region and the nation as they take part in the Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest crackdown on impaired driving. The enforcement blitz will last through the holiday weekend.

Drunk driving is one of America’s deadliest crimes. In 2008, nearly 12,000 people died in highway crashes involving a driver or motorcycle operator with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher according to preliminary NHTSA crash statistics. In Maryland, 26% of its 2008 traffic fatalities involve alcohol and over 24,000 drivers are arrested for drunk driving annually.

The picture for motorcycle riders is particularly bleak. In fatal crashes in 2007, a higher percentage of motorcycle riders (27 percent) had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher than any other type of motor vehicle driver.

“Make no mistake. Our message is simple. No matter what you drive—a passenger car, pickup, sport utility vehicle, or motorcycle—if we catch you driving impaired, we will arrest you. No exceptions. No excuses,” said Ocean City Police Chief Bernadette DiPino, President of the Maryland Chiefs of Police Association (MCPA). “We will be out in force to get more drunk drivers off the road—and save lives that might otherwise be lost.”

“Driving with a BAC of .08 or higher is illegal in every state. Yet we continue to see a tragic number of people with debilitating and fatal injuries as a result of impaired driving. This careless disregard for human life must stop. To help ensure this happens, Maryland law enforcement agencies are dedicated to arresting impaired drivers wherever and whenever we find them,” said Colonel George Johnson, Superintendent of the Natural Resources Police, and incoming MCPA President.

“Drunk driving is simply not worth the risk. Not only do you risk killing yourself or someone else, but the trauma and financial costs of a crash or an arrest for impaired driving can be significant,” said Chief DiPino. “Violators often face jail time, the loss of their driver’s license, higher insurance rates, attorney fees, time away from work, and dozens of other expenses. So don’t take the chance. Remember, if you are caught over the limit, you will be placed under arrest.”

The national Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest. impaired driving crackdown is a program organized by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that focuses on combining high-visibility enforcement with heightened public awareness through advertising and publicity. This effort is supported by the Atlantic region’s Checkpoint Strikeforce campaign.

This year’s effort is supported by $13 million in paid-national advertising to help put everyone on notice that if they are caught driving impaired, they will be arrested.

For more information, visit www.StopImpairedDriving.org or www.checkpointstrikeforce.net.