Impaired drivers create major threat during holidays

An important nationwide initiative may drive down the rate of alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that impaired drivers kill someone every 30 minutes, nearly 50 people a day and almost 18,000 citizens a year.

What’s more, last year, there was a more than two percent increase in fatalities of motorcyclists in alcohol-related crashes. To counter this trend, law enforcement officers are on the lookout for one or more of the following characteristics of impaired motorcycle riders:

•drifting during turns or curves,

•having trouble with dismount,

•being unbalanced at stops.

NHTSA studies show that nearly 97 percent of Americans view drinking and driving by others as a threat to their families and themselves. Americans rank drunk driving ahead of health care, poverty, the environment and gun control as an important social issue. In addition, the majority of Americans support increased impaired-driving enforcement efforts.

In response, the "You Drink & Drive. You Lose" nationwide crackdown was created. All 50 states and the District of Columbia have enacted .08 Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) laws for impaired driving. Consistent BAC laws strengthen the hand of law enforcement to arrest and prosecute dangerous drunk drivers to the fullest extent of the law.

The crackdown combines highly visible law enforcement with a $14 million advertising campaign that highlights the drunk driving laws.

Sobriety checkpoints and saturation patrols enforcing drunk driving laws are part of the program. Drivers who refuse a breath alcohol test can lose their license on the spot and may even have their car impounded.

It is important to remember, if you plan to drink, choose a sober designated driver before going out or take mass transit or a taxicab. You can also spend the night where you are. It’s a good idea to report impaired drivers to law enforcement and always buckle up: it’s your best defense against an impaired driver.

For more information about the crackdown or alcohol-related crash statistics, visit the website at www.StopImpairedDriving.org.

This story provided by North American Precis Syndicate, Inc.