In Alabama, more than 200 different state and local law enforcement agencies participated in the 2009 nationwide Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest. (DD.OTL.UA) crackdown, including roadblock checks, saturation and line patrols, and placing added emphasis on areas where a high number of alcohol-related and reckless driving crashes have occurred. A week before the campaign, the Alabama Department of Public Safety added 200 highway patrol officers on the roads in a “zero tolerance” campaign against all forms of unsafe driving.
The DD.OTL.UA. event itself, which took place from August 17th through September 3rd, also included press releases and public service announcements for newspaper, radio and television coverage. Law enforcement efforts included local police departments, county sheriff’s offices and the Alabama State Troopers.
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the period surrounding the Labor Day Holiday is among the most deadly time of the year on our nation’s roadways, with as many as 39% of these deaths being alcohol-related in recent years. Alabama DPS joined the DD.OLT.UA. effort by putting all available troopers on duty to ensure the safety of motorists throughout this last major holiday of the summer travel season.
Trooper teams that target impaired drivers, called Task Force Zero, used the department’s BAT Mobiles at selected multi-agency checkpoints. These vehicles, equipped with specialized breath analysis testing equipment, allowed on-scene processing of impaired drivers. Task Force Zero is a definitive statement that there will be zero tolerance for impaired drivers. Overtime funding provided by the Alabama Department of Transportation and ADECA allowed additional troopers to patrol throughout the holiday period.
The following table indicates the drinking and driving fatalities in the Southeast by state:
CAPS provided the information from CARE on the locations where DUI crashes are over-represented. This was very close to the information in alcohol location section of the ADECA HSP, but some adjustments were made for the specific time period under consideration.
CAPS also provided a post-program review by contracting with a consulting firm that has considerable experience in conducting telephone surveys of the type required. The pre-selection of survey participants required that:
- Respondents drive at least a few times per year (86% reported that they drove every day, and only 2% reported that they drove a few days a month or less), and
- Respondents have had at least one alcoholic beverage in the past year (69% reported that they had at least one drink in the past 30 days).
The effectiveness of the program is illustrated by the following results from the survey.
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NHTSA offers the following advice for not allowing DUI to ruin your life or the lives of those around you:
- Whenever you plan on consuming alcohol, designate a sober driver before going out and give that person your keys;
- If you’re impaired, call a taxi, use mass transit or call a sober friend or family member to get you home safely;
- Promptly report drunk drivers you see on the roadways to law enforcement;
- Wearing your safety belt while in a car or using a helmet and protective gear when on a motorcycle is your best defense against an impaired driver;
- And remember, Friends Don’t Let Friends Drive Drunk. If you know someone who is about to drive or ride while impaired, take their keys and help them make other arrangements to get to where they are going safely.
For more information on DD.OTL.UA. go to:
NHTSA website
GHSA website
Alabama Media Portal
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