Ocala, Florida – If you drink and drive in Ocala, beware, the Ocala Police Department is joining with law enforcement throughout the nation for the “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign August 17 to September 3, 2012.
The Ocala Police Department announces the August/Labor Day DUI Crackdown. The Ocala Police Department Joins National Crackdown to reduce impaired driving fatalities
The strong nationwide impaired driving crackdown will include high-visibility enforcement, high-profile events, and will be supported by national paid advertising, creating a comprehensive campaign to curb alcohol impaired driving in August and through the Labor Day holiday weekend (6 p.m. Sept. 3- 5:59 a.m. Sept. 7).
Traffic Supervisor Sergeant Mike Sommer said our Officers will be aggressively looking for impaired drivers during the crackdown and will arrest anyone caught driving impaired.
It is illegal in all 50 States, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico to drive with a blood alcohol concentration of .08 grams per deciliter. Despite these laws, in 2011 more than 10,000 people died in crashes in which a driver or motorcycle rider was impaired.
“On average there is one alcohol impaired driving-related fatality every 51 minutes across America. But this tragic loss of life can be reduced if we get impaired drivers off our roadways,” said Sergeant Sommer. “Research has shown that high-visibility enforcement like the ‘Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over’ campaign reduces alcohol-impaired driving fatalities by as much as 20 percent. By joining this nationwide effort, we will make Ocala roadways safer for everyone throughout the Labor Day period.”
During the Labor Day weekend in 2011, 147 people were killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes involving drivers or motorcycle riders with BACs of .08 or higher. Of those fatalities, 80 percent occurred from 6 p.m. to 5:59 a.m.
“Obviously we want to remind everyone that it is illegal to drive impaired, and we hope the campaign will remind people that if they plan on drinking, to never get behind the wheel,” said Sommer. “But if someone does choose to drive impaired, we will arrest them. No warnings. No excuses.”
“Driving impaired is simply not worth the risk. So don’t take the chance. Remember, we will be out in force and we will be watching, so ‘Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over,” said Sommer.
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