Authorities Caution Drivers About Drinking And Driving
EL PASO, TX. – Authorities say Labor Day is often thought of as summer’s last big blowout, but they say the combination of drunken driving and families traveling on vacation can be lethal.
The Labor Day holiday is fast approaching and that’s why authorities across the nation are stepping up their campaign against drunken driving. It’s especially serious here in Texas; federal transportation officials say the lonestar state leads the nation in drunk driving fatalities.
In 2006, more than 1300 drivers were killed in drunk driving related crashes. That number is up 34 from 2005. The increase is a national trend and that’s why new ad campaigns have been popping up on television sets recently. The “Drunk Driving: Over the limit, Under arrest” campaign startedthe week of August 12and will run through September 3.
More than 10,000 agencies nationwide are participating and Congress provided $11 million dollars for the national ad campaign.Since October, there have been more than8,000DWI arrests in Texas. “This careless disregard for human life just absolutely must stop,” says one concerned woman.
“We agree with you, we’d like to see the numbers go lower. And that’s part of the reason we are going to look at new technologies,” says another. One example of that technology is a breathalyzer in the car of a person convicted of DWI, the offender must blow into the breathalyzer to prove they have not been drinking before the car will start.
As you get ready for your Labor Day celebrations, remember, authorities will be out there and if you are caught evenas a first time offender, you could be facing 180 days in jail, a $2,000 dollar fine, and the loss of your driver’s license for up to one year.
