MADD Tennessee and Tennessee Law Enforcement Remind Public: Law Enforcement Doesn't Take Labor Day Off

Tennessee 'Booze It and Lose It.' Effort in Full Force, Cracking Down on Drunk Driving

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Aug. 29, 2007; Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) Tennessee and Tennessee law enforcement agencies today kicked off Booze It and Lose It., a local drunk driving crackdown as part of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) national crackdown: Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest.

MADD Tennessee is working with Tennessee Highway Patrol, the Governor's Highway Safety Office and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department to implement tough enforcement of drunk driving laws throughout the Labor Day holiday.

The timing for the crackdown is significant because Labor Day, a holiday celebrated throughout the nation with parties and parades, has unfortunately become notorious as a day when thousands of drivers make the deadly decision to drive drunk.

"Last year in Tennessee, there were 23 alcohol-related crashes over the Labor Day weekend," warned Colonel Mike Walker of the Tennessee Highway Patrol. "It is imperative that we use all the tools and resources available to prevent these deadly crashes and to send a clear reminder to drivers: If you drive impaired this Labor Day, you will be arrested. No exceptions. No excuses."

According to Director Kendell Poole of the Governor's Highway Safety Office, the costs of drunk driving go far beyond the crash.

"If you drive drunk, 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," said Poole. "Violators often face jail time, the loss of their drivers' licenses, higher insurance rates, attorney fees, time away from work, and dozens of other expenses."

Alcohol-related traffic deaths are higher than at any time since 1997. In Tennessee alone, 408 people were killed in 2006 in crashes where the driver had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher. This past year, nearly 13,500 people across the nation were killed in drunk driving crashes in which the driver had a BAC of .08 or higher, according to the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) data from NHTSA.

Research has shown that highly publicized, highly visible and frequent sobriety checkpoints reduce alcohol-related crashes and fatalities by an average of 20 percent. The national Labor Day crackdown combines the mobilization of thousands of law enforcement agencies in all 50 states with an $11 million national advertising campaign to deliver the message that if you drive drunk, you will be arrested.

High visibility enforcement, a proven method to reduce the number of deaths and injuries caused by drunk driving, is one of the four components of MADD's Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving. The other elements include: mandatory ignition interlocks for all convicted drunk drivers, development of advanced vehicle technology to detect and stop drunk drivers, and mobilization of grassroots support.

MADD's goal is to make it literally impossible for people to drive drunk. The vision behind the Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving is to use new technology, enforcement, and community involvement to ultimately prevent a driver with a BAC of .08 or higher from operating a vehicle.

"There's just no excuse for driving drunk," said Glynn Birch, National President of MADD. "Together with Tennessee law enforcement, we are diligently working toward a future without drunk driving crimes."

Traci Hughes Jungkurth's life was changed forever by a drunk driver. On May 31, 1996, while driving home after attending a concert in Nashville, Jungkurth's SUV was struck from behind by a drunk driver. The SUV rolled three times, killing her husband, Joseph and eight-year-old son, Christopher. She and her five-year-old son, Peter, survived the crash but live every day with the devastating loss of their husband, father, son and brother.

"Situations like mine are so unfortunate because they are completely preventable," Jungkurth said.

Jungkurth hopes that her story will serve as a reminder when party plans are being made this Labor Day weekend.

"It's clear that aggressive drunk driving enforcement reduces the number of injuries and deaths on our neighborhood streets and highways," said Metropolitan Nashville Police Chief Ronal Serpas. "Beginning Friday and continuing through Monday night, more than 20 additional Metro officers funded through the Governor's Highway Safety Office will be on Nashville's roadways each day carefully looking for impaired and aggressive drivers. In fact, our extra enforcement efforts will begin tomorrow night with an additional 11 officers to complement our DUI squad."

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), among those killed in traffic crashes, diverse populations -- including African Americans, Hispanics, and Native Americans -- are more likely to drive while impaired than the general population. They are also less often validly licensed and less likely to be wearing safety belts than the general population.

"Drunk driving does not discriminate and too many families of all cultures are devastated each year by this preventable crime. However, the devastation within ethnic communities is disproportionately high," Birch added. "MADD is committed to reaching out to diverse communities to prevent the tragic consequences of drunk driving and underage drinking."

NHTSA's national crackdown is conducted in partnership with MADD, the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) and the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP).

About MADD

Founded in 1980, MADD's mission is to stop drunk driving, support the victims of this violent crime and prevent underage drinking. MADD is a 501c(3) non-profit, grassroots organization with approximately 400 affiliates and 2 million members and supporters nationwide. The organization's trained victim advocates served more than 46,000 victims/survivors last year and has helped save more than 330,000 lives since its founding. For more information, please visit http://www.madd.org/ or call (800) GET-MADD.