Drunk driving is still one of America’s deadliest crimes.  And this travel period between Thanksgiving and New Year’s is still one of the deadliest and most dangerous times to be on America’s roadways due to the increase in holiday partying and impaired driving.                                                                       

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, (NHTSA) 1,076 people were killed nationwide in December last year in crashes involving drivers with illegal Blood Alcohol Concentrations (BAC) of .08 or above.

The BAC (Blood Alcohol Concentration) of .08 is the point at which the fatal crash risk significantly increases and virtually everyone is seriously impaired.  At that point, all of the critical driving skills are affected: braking, steering, lane changing, judgment and response time.                                

Most motorists don’t realize the risk of a driver dying in a crash at .08 BAC is at least 11 times that of drivers without alcohol in their system!  That’s why driving with a BAC of .08 or higher is illegal in every state.

Yet too many people still ignore the law.  According to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report, more than 1.3 million people were arrested for driving under the influence during 2005.

Why?  Because way too many people still believe you have to be “falling down drunk” to be too impaired to safely drive.  And that’s where Georgia’s new “Over The Limit. Under Arrest” campaign comes in.  Research proves that high visibility enforcement, coupled with focused media attention, results in reduced impaired driving crashes and fatalities.   In Georgia, we call that Operation ZERO TOLERANCE.. OZT.

Georgia’s OZT holiday enforcement crackdown is scheduled to begin Friday, December 14 and run through Tuesday, January 1, 2008.  Georgia will mobilize along with the thousands of local and state law enforcement agencies nationwide. And in Georgia alone, more than 500 police departments, sheriff’s offices and State Patrol Posts will set up sobriety checkpoints and run concentrated patrols on our roadways and interstates.                                  

Drunk driving is deadly serious and it’s against the law. If you drive drunk this holiday season, you will be caught and you will go to jail.  Violators will be spending their December paychecks on bail, court, lawyers and towing fees instead of holiday presents.  No amount of good cheer can save you from the consequences of impaired driving. Don’t take the chance. Remember:  Over The Limit. Under Arrest.
 
Bob Dallas, Director
Georgia Governor's Office of Highway Safety

For more information, visit www.StopImpairedDriving.org.