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The
Santa Monica Police Department, along with other participating law
enforcement agencies in the area, will be out in force from December
19, 2003, through January 4, 2004, to crack down on drunk driving
offenders as part of our annual holiday campaign against drunk
driving.
With
more people expected to travel on America’s highways during this
extended holiday season, this could be one of the deadliest periods
ever for impaired driving fatalities.
As part of the You Drink & Drive. You Lose.
National Crackdown, the Santa Monica Police Department will be
working with the California Highway Patrol to protect everyone from
impaired drivers during this busy time of the year.
“There
will be no warnings,” said Chief James T. Butts, Jr., of the Santa
Monica Police Department. “Our
message is simple – You Drink and Drive.
You Lose. Violators
can lose their licenses, time from their jobs, and lose money in high
fines and court costs, as well as possibly face imprisonment for
repeat offenses, assault and vehicular manslaughter.
Refuse a blood alcohol concentration test and you can lose your
license on the spot and have your car impounded.
You’ll be spending your money on bail and towing fees instead
of holiday gifts.”
After
a decade of gradual success, fatalities in alcohol-related crashes
have not significantly improved nationally in the last three years.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
estimated that alcohol-related fatalities rose slightly from 17,000 in
2001 to 17,419 in 2002. An estimated 258,000 persons were injured in
crashes where police reported that alcohol was present – an average
of one person injured approximately every 2 minutes.
Studies
from the NHTSA show that the majority of Americans consider drunk
driving one of the nation’s most important social issues.
Nearly 97 percent of Americans view drunk driving as a major
threat to the community. As
a result, the majority of Americans support increased use of
enforcement efforts like saturation patrols and sobriety checkpoints
to protect innocent victims. Furthermore, two-thirds of Americans also strongly endorse
the use of stricter and more severe penalties against drunk drivers.
The
Santa Monica Police Department reminds everyone:
Don’t
risk it- If you plan to drive, don’t drink.
Choose a sober designated driver before partying
Take mass transit, a taxicab or ask a friend to drive you home
Spend the night where the activity is being held
Report impaired drivers to law enforcement
Always wear your safety belt – your best defense against an impaired
driver
Funding
for this program was provided by a grant from the Office of Traffic
Safety, obtained through the California Business, Transportation &
Housing Agency.
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