UK Police Part of Speeding, DUI Crackdown
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept. 3, 2009) – The University of Kentucky Police Department has announced its officers will be out in full force during the Labor Day holiday period. They will join thousands of other law enforcement and highway safety agencies throughout the nation as they take part in the Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest crackdown on impaired driving. The enforcement blitz will last through this holiday weekend.
Drunk driving is one of America’s deadliest crimes. In 2007, nearly 13,000 people died in highway crashes involving a driver or motorcycle operator with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher.
“Our message is simple. No matter what you drive if we catch you driving impaired, we will arrest you. No exceptions. No excuses,” said Lt. Nathan Brown with UK Police.
“Driving with a BAC of .08 or higher is illegal in every state. Yet we continue to see a tragic number of people with debilitating injuries and deaths as a result of impaired driving. This careless disregard for human life must stop. To help ensure that happens, the University of Kentucky Police Department is dedicated to arresting impaired drivers wherever and whenever we find them,” said Interim Chief Joe Monroe.
“Drunk driving is simply not worth the risk. Not only do you risk killing yourself or someone else, but the trauma and financial costs of a crash or an arrest for impaired driving can be significant,” Monroe said. “Violators often face jail time, the loss of their driver’s license, higher insurance rates, attorney fees, time away from work, and dozens of other expenses. So don’t take the chance. Remember, if you are caught over the limit, you will be placed under arrest.”
The national Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest. impaired driving crackdown is a program organized by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that focuses on combining high-visibility enforcement with heightened public awareness through advertising and publicity.
This year’s effort is supported by $13 million in paid national advertising to help put everyone on notice that if they are caught driving impaired, they will be arrested.
For more information, visit www.StopImpairedDriving.org.