GHSA joins law enforcment in Labor Day holiday drunk driving crackdown

The GHSA said that 12,000 people die on U.S. roads as a result of drunk driving. (The Trucker file photo)

The Trucker News Services

8/19/2010

WASHINGTON — The Governor’s Highway Safety Association and its state highway safety offices are joining with law enforcement officers across the country to take part in the national Drunk Driving Over the Limit Under Arrest crackdown between Friday and the Labor Day weekend.

The GHSA said that 12,000 people die on U.S. roads as a result of drunk driving.

“That would be equal to about 30 jumbo jets crashing each year,” the GHSA said in a news release.

From Aug. 20 through Sept. 6, police in every state will be out in full force conducting sobriety checkpoints and saturation patrols to catch drunk drivers.

This high visibility law enforcement is supported by $31 million in national and state advertisements.

This year, more states are turning to technology to help fight drunk driving, the GHSA said.

Michigan will debut its iPhone app, the Michigan DUI Tracker. According to Michigan, this first-of-its-kind application uses the phone's GPS system to remind users that law enforcement can be anywhere at any time, and it gives users options to call a taxi or phone a friend for a safe and sober ride home.

Many states are increasingly using Twitter, Facebook and other technologies to spread awareness about the crackdown. Georgia is broadcasting its Operation Zero Tolerance message on the JumboTron screen at UGA football games. Texas is running new web and mobile phone ads illustrating the choice between getting a sober ride or risking a DWI by using an arresting image of a vehicle that is part police patrol car and part taxi cab.

A full list of state-specific crackdown efforts is available on GHSA's website at www.ghsa.org/html/projects/dd/otlua/laborday10.html.

For current drunk driving laws, visit www.ghsa.org/html/stateinfo/laws/impaired_laws.html.

The Trucker staff can be reached to comment on this article at editor@thetrucker.com.