PALESTINE —
The Palestine Police Department has united with other law enforcement agencies across the nation to crack down on drinking and driving this Labor Day weekend during the “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign.
The campaign, which includes high visibility enforcement, began on Aug. 19 and continues through Wednesday, Sept. 5.
“Palestine police officers will be aggressively looking for impaired drivers during the campaign and will arrest anyone caught driving impaired,” Palestine Police Department spokesperson Sgt. James Muniz said.
It is illegal in all 50 States, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico to drive with a blood alcohol concentration of .08 grams per deciliter. Despite these laws, in 2010 more than 10,000 people died in crashes in which a driver or motorcycle rider was impaired.
“On average there is one alcohol impaired driving-related fatality every 51 minutes across America,” Muniz said. “But this tragic loss of life can be reduced if we get impaired drivers off our roadways.”
According to research, high-visibility enforcement like the “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign reduces alcohol-impaired driving fatalities by as much as 20 percent.
“By joining this nationwide effort, we hope to make Palestine’s roadways safer for everyone throughout the Labor Day period,” Muniz said.
During the Labor Day weekend in 2010, 147 people were killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes involving drivers or motorcycle riders with BACs of .08 or higher. Of those fatalities, 80 percent occurred from 6 p.m. to 5:59 a.m.
Among 18- to 34-year-old drivers killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes during the 2010 Labor Day weekend, 54 percent were alcohol-impaired.
“Obviously we want to remind everyone that it is illegal to drive impaired, and we hope the campaign will remind people that if they plan on drinking, to never get behind the wheel,” Sgt. Muniz said. “But if someone does choose to drive impaired, we will arrest them. No warnings. No excuses.”
Locally, last year alone, the Palestine Police Department received almost 70 calls for service, specifically in reference to impaired driving, and officers made 83 arrests for Driving While Intoxicated in the last year alone.
Violators face jail time, loss of their driver licenses, and steep financial consequences such as higher insurance rates, attorney fees, court costs, lost time at work and the potential loss of job.
When family, friends and co-workers find out, violators also often face tremendous personal embarrassment.
“Driving impaired is simply not worth the risk,” Muniz said. “So don’t take the chance.”
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Mary Rainwater may be reached via e-mail at mrainwater@palestineherald.com
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