"Over the Limit, Under Arrest" campaign underway; Nationwide effort has one goal: Get drunk drivers off America's roads

Earlier this week, National Highway Traffic Safety Administrator David Strickland kicked off our annual drunk driving enforcement effort. Our "Over the Limit, Under Arrest" campaign has one simple--but important--goal: Get drunk drivers off America's roads.

To help us achieve that goal, we have coordinated with more than 11,000 law enforcement agencies across the country to step-up enforcement from now through the Labor Day holiday weekend. Whether it's a checkpoint or increased vigilance, the Department of Transportation appreciates their front-line assistance in helping us keep our roads safe.

Launching the enforcement effort, Administrator Strickland said:

"Our message is loud and clear. If you drive drunk you will be arrested and prosecuted. There will be no exceptions and no excuses. And if you’re below the age of 21, there is zero tolerance for any alcohol in your system whatsoever.”

And we have 17 million reasons to be tough. That's because, this week, NHTSA released results of a new study showing that 8% of all drivers--as many as 17 million Americans--admitted to driving when they thought they were over the limit in the last year. That's seventeen million drunk drivers on our roads in the last year.

Now, that's only when they recognized they were over the limit. One out of five respondents said they had driven within two hours of drinking--many within the past 30 days. According to the Detroit News, that means, "86 million Americans in any given month drove within two hours of drinking--up from 74 million in 2004." Imagine how many of these drivers were drunk without being aware of their impaired ability.

Many of you already recognize the dangers drunk driving still poses. Four out of five Americans in the NHTSA report identified drunk driving as a “major threat” to their own and their family’s safety.

But, for those who remain unconvinced, let me remind you that in 2008, 31% of fatal car crashes, or 10,684 accidents, involved an alcohol-impaired driver. Drunk driving remains a significant danger on our roadways.

That's why Administrator Strickland was so emphatic when he said, "We have got to do more to close the gap between believing that drunk driving is a threat and actively doing something about it."

And that's why the nation's law enforcement agencies will be a visible presence on our roadways during the next 10 days. And why NHTSA is supporting their work with $13 million in radio and television public service announcements to let people know that drunk driving is deadly, and it is against the law.

With the help of law enforcement around the country, we are going to continue doing all we can to stop drunk driving and prevent the needless tragedies that result from this reckless behavior.

Comments

[Tom West]

The differentiation between those over and under 21 is dangerous, because it sends the message that dirving after a drink isn't as bad once you're 21. The limit should be the same for all drivers, regardless of age.

[jude Porter]

HOV lanes are Illegal … the law states you must pass on the left…far right lane should be an HOV…. The HOV lanes in bad weather become a hazard when people ride there brakes and even have there hazard lights flashing and your trapped behind slow traffic and there is no place to go ….it’s discriminating for people who pay highway taxes equally and [Truckers pay 75% to 80% highway usage taxes in the USA] [EVEN MORE DISCRIMINATING ] to have one lane for certain people…if you are slow move to the right… …Then our Federal law makers let us be put in dangerous situations in bad weather because drivers in cars and pick up trucks are not able to see as well as semi-drivers and then drive 35mph in a 70mph zone ..truckers have no where to go in this congestion which result in highway fatalities.. YOU the law makers are responsible for the highway deaths in this country…..
Change the laws to make it safe for all drivers on our roads not just the few..

[Michael E. Bailey]

This is a great program. We need to do everything possible to eliminate drunk driving. And putting losts of police on the roads to make drunk driving arrests is a good way to get the message out to all of those 17 million people who are still not yet convinced that drinking and driving kills. Best wishes, Michael E. Bailey.

[Car Wraps]

I've seen these ads and am not sure how effective they are but at least they are prevalent enough to issue a stern warning to would be violators. In our city the police set up sobriety checkpoints specially during holidays and weekends as a deterrent and I would say these are very effective in keeping our roads safer.

[isadore turner]

how come in 99% of all the commercials they show white men as the drunk driver. this is racism agianst white men. if anything it should be a balance down race and gender boundries. if this keeps on i say a civil suit should be brought agianst the us dept of transportation
for racial bias.

[Bruce Wright]

Not only is enforcement needed, but the courts need to punish drunk drivers appropriately. All too often we hear of drunk drivers being given suspended or very light sentences.

[ms.concerned and pissed]

this is a joke.look at this guy in the state of missouri.still drinks and drives.
FALLER , BRADLEY WILLIAM , Plaintiff represented by LAMPIN , CHARLES E JR , Attorney for Plaintiff
4901 GREENBURG DRIVE
SAINT CHARLES, MO 63304

Year of Birth: 1980 5770 MEXICO ROAD, SUITE A
SAINT PETERS, MO 63376

DIRECTOR OF REVENUE , Defendant
ALANA M BARRAGAN-SCOTT
P O BOX 475
301 WEST HIGH ST RM 670
JEFFERSON CITY, MO 65105-0475
Description: Dwi - Alcohol { Misdemeanor B RSMo: 577.010 }
Date: 01/31/2010 Code: 4742000 Disposition: Guilty Plea - 05/25/2010
OCN: A3043294 Ticket Number: 090059159 Arresting Agency: SO ST CHARLES CNTY
Sentence
Sentence: Suspended Imposition of Sent.
Sentence Date: 05/25/2010 Start Date: 05/25/2010 Length: 2 Years
Text: SIS 2 YEARS SUPERVISED PROBATION / EMASS
Facility Name: PROBATION Agency: Eastern Missouri Alternative Sentencing Services
Classification: SUPERVISED
Start Date: 05/25/2010

05/17/2010 Docket Entry: Motion for Disclosure
Filing Party: ANDERSON , JILLIAN S

06/28/2010 Docket Entry: Guilty Plea
Associated Docket Entries: 05/03/2010 - Arraignment Scheduled

Associated Events: 06/28/2010 , 09:00:00 - Arraignment
Docket Entry: Defendant Sentenced
Text: DEFENDANT SENTENCED TO 2 YEARS SIS PROBATION (EMASS); SATOP; VIP; RESTITUTION; SCRAM (30 DAYS); ALL CONDITIONS TO RUN CONCURRENT WITH 1011-CR02075; PAY COURT COSTS, AS PER ORDER WTL.
Docket Entry: Judgment Entered
Docket Entry: Misd Costs Assc Tax-Reg-w/cost
Text: DUE BY 8-20-10

07/01/2010 Docket Entry: Record of Traffic Disp Issued

dui,leaving the scene of accident,resisting arrest but still drinking still driving.

[brenton]

Anythin that stops the crippling effects on family and th cost to the general community is a plus. Having lost a family member to a drunk driver and seen the devistation it caused to our family and the family of the drunk driver this has to stop.

Regards
Brenton

[jeff]

I would like to know something about the "drunk driving over the limit. under arrest." commercials. Why is it that it is only Male drivers getting pulled over in all the commercials? I am yet to see a female in the commercials getting pulled over. The only commercials I have seen are the ones where alcohol flows out of the vehicle when they get pulled over. It is only male drivers???

[bikerbernie]

SOMETHING IS AMIS

Correct me if I am wrong but if 31% of all fatal accidents in 2008 involved alcohol impaired drivers then 69% of fatal accidents in 2008 involved sober drivers. Does this mean that it is more dangerous to drive sober?

Also, that interesting stat above does not state that the "impaired" driver actually caused the accident every time. The law lays blame at the impaired drivers feet but in reality by conspicuously not assigning who hit whom means that these stats are in fact inflated artificially. This must be true because of their very careful wording. "Involved an impaired driver." does not mean that the impaired driver caused the accident. It is true that you could be working on your car (not driving) having a beer and some let's say reckless teen hits your car while you are changing a tire in the street in front of your house, this is recorded as a DUI accident. FACT.

Furthermore, in 2008 there were 1,032,000,000 incidents of driving impaired by implication in the Detroit News compared to 10,684 fatal accidents involving the same. This is quite an impressive ratio. One would think that there would be a much tighter ratio of impaired drivers and fatal accidents. Conclusion it seems to indicate that people might actually be able to drive better than we are lead on to believe while "legally" impaired. One of the numbers missing is what the BAL of the impaired persons were that were involved in these accidents. I would hazard to say that they were not on the low end of the legal scale. I would bet that most were double the legal limit and more. This is important information to have before one decides what is drunk and or impaired. If it is as I believe then there has to be a serious reevaluation of the system.

ONLY MEN

Why is it that in the NHTSA ad all the drivers are male and all appear to be white? If there was an ad about robberies that showed only black men or one that only showed women shoplifting there would be holy hell to pay.

[Carbon Fiber]

Unfortunately people have a tendency not to do the correct thing until it's too late no matter if they are white, black or any other color.

[Car Wraps]

I have seen these commercials all over, and I love them. Although I think it can be a bit disconcerting to see, I think they are effective.

[DUIClear]

Thank you for posting this helpful information.

[Clear bra paint protection film]

As a victim of a drunk driving accident I'm 100% behind this effort.