Maine Cracks Down On Drunk Driving During Holiday Season
.jpg)
The Maine Bureau of Highway Safety is supporting a statewide crackdown on impaired driving. The sustained holiday enforcement period runs from December 16th - January 3rd and will attempt to save lives during the holiday season.
Thirty-two local police departments, five county Sheriffs' offices, and the Maine State Police are participating in the campaign, as over $270,000 has been awarded to fund their enforcement efforts. Nationally, more than $7 million dollars will be spent to educate, raise awareness, and curb drinking and driving during the holiday season.
Roadblocks will be set up throughout the state, keeping close tabs on operators of motor vehicles, and ads on television and the radio will inform the general public about the dangers of drinking and driving. This is the second “Over the limit. Under Arrest.” campaign of the year, the previous held over Labor Day Weekend. Statistics show that impaired driving increases by 10 percent over holiday weekends.
Research by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has shown that more people are killed in crashes that involve alcohol-impaired drivers on weekends and at night, which is when the major winter holidays fall this year. In 2008, 58 percent of fatal accidents that took place on weekends or at night involved alcohol. On average, more than 16,000 people are killed annually from drunk drivers, with approximately 300,000 more injured.
At the Law Offices of Joe Bornstein, we see firsthand the effects of drinking and driving accidents on a regular basis. The end results do not end happily ever after. Therefore, we ask our fellow Mainers to stay safe and Arrive Alive this holiday season. Doing so will not only save lives, but also help bring a happy holiday to you and your loved ones. Not to mention a Happy New Year.
For more information on the upcoming “Over the Limit. Under Arrest.” campaign, please visit:
http://www.stopimpaireddriving.org/.
