FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August
18, 2011
CONTACT: Sgt. Wallace
Stacy
Clearcreek Township Division of Police
Launches Intensive Crackdown on Impaired Driving
Police Vow to Arrest
Everyone Found Driving Over the Limit
[Springboro, OH] – The
Clearcreek Township Division of Police
today announced it will join nearly 10,000 other law enforcement agencies
nationwide in support of an intensive crackdown on impaired driving August
19–September 5, known as “Drive Sober or
Get Pulled Over.”
The problem of impaired driving is a serious one. Data from the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shows the number of
alcohol-impaired-driving fatalities in America fell from 2008 to 2009, but the
numbers are still too high.
In 2009 alone, 10,839
people died in crashes in which a driver or motorcycle rider was at or above the
legal limit, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The age group with the highest percentage of alcohol-impaired-driving fatalities
in motor vehicle traffic crashes was the 21-to-24 age group.
“All too often, innocent, law-abiding people suffer tragic
consequences and the loss of loved ones due to this careless disregard for human
life. Because we’re committed to ending the carnage, we’re intensifying
enforcement during the crackdown. Since twice as many alcohol-impaired accidents
occur over the weekend and four times as many occur at night, we will be
especially vigilant during these high-risk times when impaired drivers are most
likely to be on our roads,” said John Terrill, Clearcreek Township Police Chief.
Across the country, it is illegal to drive with a blood alcohol
concentration of .08 grams per deciliter or higher. According to the latest
data, nearly a third of fatalities in motor vehicle traffic crashes involved a
driver or motorcycle rider with a BAC above the legal limit – an average of one
fatality every 48 minutes.
The crackdown will include law enforcement officers in every state, Washington,
D.C., and many U.S. cities and towns.
The Clearcreek Township Division of Police said its officers will be
aggressively looking for all impaired
drivers during the crackdown and will arrest anyone they find driving while
impaired — regardless of age, vehicle type or time of day.
“Our message is simple and unwavering: if we find you driving
impaired, we will arrest you. No exceptions,” said Sgt. Wallace Stacy, the
program coordinator. “Even if you beat the odds and manage to walk away from an
impaired-driving crash alive, the trauma and financial costs of a crash or an
arrest for driving while impaired can still destroy your life.”
According to Sgt. Stacy, violators often face jail time, loss of
their driver licenses, or being sentenced to use ignition interlocks. Their
insurance rates go up. Other financial hits include attorney fees, court costs,
lost time at work, and the potential loss of job or job prospects. When family,
friends and co-workers find out, violators can also face tremendous personal
embarrassment and humiliation.
Driving impaired is simply not worth all the consequences. So don’t
take the chance. Remember, Drive Sober or
Get Pulled Over!
For more information, visit the High-Visibility Enforcement Campaign
Headquarters at
www.StopImpairedDriving.org.
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