UTSAPD sponsors DWI crackdown program
By Geoffrey Merritt
Corporal, UTSA Police Department Crime Prevention Unit
(Aug. 17, 2007)--The UTSA Police Department will sponsor the "Drunk Driving: Over the Limit, Under Arrest" program through Labor Day, Sept. 3, as part of a national police effort to save lives.
UTSAPD joins thousands of other law enforcement and highway safety agencies across the nation to crack down on impaired driving. It is illegal in the United States for anyone under age 21 to operate a motor vehicle while having any detectable amount of alcohol in his or her system. It is illegal in Texas to drive with blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 percent or higher.
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RSS FeedsDrunk driving is one of America's deadliest crimes. In 2005, nearly 13,000 people died in highway crashes involving a driver or motorcycle operator with BAC of .08 or higher. The picture for motorcycle operators is particularly bleak. Forty-one percent of the 1,878 motorcycle operators who died in single-vehicle crashes in 2005 had BAC levels of .08 or higher.
Drunk driving is simply not worth the risk. 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.
Violators face jail time, loss of a driver's license, higher insurance rates, attorney fees, time away from work and school, and dozens of other expenses. Far too many people don't understand that alcohol, drugs and driving don't mix. Impaired driving is no accident -- nor is it a victimless crime.
Our message is simple -- if we catch you driving impaired, we will arrest you. No exceptions. No excuses. So don't take the chance. If you are over the limit, you are under arrest.
For more information, visit the Stop Impaired Driving Web site.
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Precautions to save lives
- If you plan to drink alcohol with friends -- 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.
- Wear your seat belt while in a car or use a helmet and protective gear when on a motorcycle -- these are your best defenses against an impaired driver.
- If you know someone who is about to drive or ride while impaired, take their keys and help them make other arrangements to get home safely.