Southwest Coalition of Safe Communities Participates in You Drink & You Drive. You Lose. 2004 Labor Day National Crackdown.

This is the first since all 50 states and the District of Columbia enacted .08 Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) laws for impaired driving. Uniform BAC laws strengthen the hand of law enforcement to arrest and prosecute dangerous drunk drivers to the fullest extent of the law. Additionally, for the first time, the crackdown, will take place during Labor Day period to target the end-of-summer impaired driving problem. In , more than 55% of fatalities in motor vehicle crashes that occurred during the Labor Day weekend were alcohol-related.

"Working in the community brings you closer to the people you serve. I see up close and personal when a family is torn apart by tragedy because of drunk driving. So our message is clear - You Drink & Drink. You Lose." Said Becky Byzewski Safe Communities/Prevention Coordinator. "Don't turn your holiday into a jail stay, or worse, a one way trip to the trauma center or hospital."

The You Drink & Drive. You Lose. Crackdown, which began in 1999, combines highly visible law enforcement with a million national advertising campaign - the largest paid media buy in the crackdown's history. Advertising during the crackdown alerts motorists that if you drink and drive irresponsibly, chances are you will be caught.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) studies show that nearly 97 percent of Americans view drinking and driving by others as a threat to their families and themselves. Indeed, Americans support tougher enforcement and rank drunk driving ahead of healthcare, poverty, the environment and gun control as an important social issue. The majority of Americans support increased enforcements efforts.

NHTSA estimates that 17,401 people were killed in alcohol-related crashes in 2003. This represents 40% of the 43, 220 people killed in all traffic crashes. To protect families during this long holiday weekend, local law enforcement agencies will be out in full force, from August 27 to September 12, 2004 as part of the You Drink & Drive. You Lose. National Crackdown to keep citizens safe from impaired drivers.