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Campaign reminds motorists of drunk driving risks

A month-long safety campaign will put Idaho drivers on notice about the consequences of being caught driving while drunk. The message – “You Drink, You Drive, You Lose,” begins appearing Wednesday (Aug. 10).

As part of the campaign, law enforcement agencies will conduct saturation patrols to crack down on drunk drivers during the Labor Day weekend (Sept. 3-5).

“Our message is simple – you drink and drive, you lose,” says Kevin Bechen, ITD Office of Traffic & Highway Safety. “We encourage anyone who plans to drink alcohol to be responsible and designate a sober driver. With stepped-up patrols and increased awareness among citizens, your chances of being arrested for driving drunk are about to go up.”

Driving with blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.08 and above is illegal, Bechen said. The BAC threshold is lower for underage drivers in Idaho.

Bechen encourages everyone to plan ahead.

“If you find it hard to figure out whether you’ve had too much alcohol to drive – don’t risk it. Most likely if you’re feeling ‘buzzed,’ you’re impaired, and if you drive, law enforcement will be out in force to catch you.”

The transportation department offers the following tips:

• If you plan to drink, choose a designated driver in advance.
• Take a taxi or ask a sober friend to drive you home.
• Spend the night where the activity is being held.
• Report impaired drivers to law enforcement.
• Always buckle up – it is your best defense against an impaired driver.

Studies from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) show that Americans support tougher enforcement and consider drunk driving an important social issue, ahead of health care, poverty, the environment and gun control.

Nearly 97 percent of Americans view drinking and driving by others as a threat to their families and themselves. The majority of Americans also support increased enforcement efforts, like sobriety checkpoints and saturation patrols, to protect innocent victims from impaired drivers.

The “You Drink & Drive, You Lose” national campaign, initiated in December 1999, is a comprehensive impaired-driving prevention effort focused on conducting highly visible law-enforcement-related efforts to deter impaired driving.

For more information, visit www.StopImpairedDriving.com