NHTSA Gears Up for Labor Day “You Drink & Drive. You Lose.” Campaign

Beginning on August 27, continuing through the Labor Day holiday period, and ending on September 12, 2004, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) will sponsor an impaired driving crackdown under the banner -- "You Drink and Drive. You Lose." The "You Drink & Drive. You Lose." crackdown, which began in 1999, combines highly visible law enforcement with a $14 million national advertising campaign -- the largest paid media buy in the crackdown's history.

This is the first "You Drink & Drive. You Lose." crackdown since all 50 States and the District of Columbia enacted .08 Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) laws for impaired driving. Uniform BAC laws strengthen the ability of law enforcement to arrest and prosecute dangerous drunk drivers to the fullest extent of the law. This is also the first time the crackdown will take place during the Labor Day period to target the end-of-summer impaired driving problem. In 2002, more than 55% of fatalities in motor vehicle crashes that occurred during the Labor Day weekend were alcohol-related.

The key elements of the NHTSA campaign are highly visible enforcement and public awareness of the campaign. Research has shown that awareness of the law enforcement crackdown deters impaired driving. For more info on the "You Drink & Drive. You Lose" campaign visit the website. For more information about alcohol-related crash statistics, visit www.StopImpairedDriving.org

To get your organization or law enforcement agency involved in the campaign call your State Highway Safety Office. Contact numbers are available on the web or email the NHTSA Regional Office that works with your State:

In CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, or VT, email Region I at region1@nhtsa.dot.gov

In NJ, NY or PR, email Region II at region2@nhtsa.dot.gov

In DE, DC, MD, PA, VA or WV, email Region III at region3@nhtsa.dot.gov

In AL, FL, GA, KY, MS, NC, SC or TN, email Region IV at region4@nhtsa.dot.gov

In IL, IN, MI, MN, OH or WI, email Region V at region5@nhtsa.dot.gov

In AR, LA, NM, OK, TX or the Indian Nations, email Region VI at region6@nhtsa.dot.gov

In IA, KS, MO or NE, email Region VII at region7@nhtsa.dot.gov

In CO, MT, ND, SD, UT or WY, email Region VIII at region8@nhtsa.dot.gov

In AZ, CA, HI, NV or the Pacific Territories, email Region IX at region9@nhtsa.dot.gov

In AK, ID, OR or WA, email Region X at region10@nhtsa.dot.gov

Reprinted from Coalitions Online, the electronic newsletter from Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America.