Daly City – The Avoid the 23 San Mateo County DUI Task force today announced its officers will be out in full force during the Labor Day holiday period, beginning August 21. They will join thousands of other law enforcement and highway safety agencies throughout the nation as they take part in the Drunk Driving: Over the Limit, Under Arrest crackdown on impaired driving. The enforcement effort will last through the holiday weekend.

Drunk driving is one of America’s deadliest crimes. In 2008, over 11,700 people died in highway crashes involving a driver or motorcycle operator with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher. In California the provisional data for 2008 just released indicates that 1029 died in Alcohol Involved Collisions. This data reveals a 9 percent reduction in deaths from 2007.

The picture for motorcycle riders is particularly bleak. In fatal crashes in 2007, a higher percentage of motorcycle riders (27 percent) had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher than any other type of motor vehicle driver.

“Make no mistake. Our message is simple. No matter if you’re driving or riding — if we catch you driving impaired, we will arrest you. No exceptions. No excuses,” said Cory Roay, Daly City’s Acting Police Chief. “We will be out in force to get more drunk drivers off the road—and save lives that might otherwise be lost.”

“Californians and members of our communities continue to see far too many killed and many people with debilitating injuries as a result of impaired driving. This careless disregard for human life must stop. To help ensure that happens, Avoid the 23 San Mateo County is dedicated to arresting impaired drivers wherever and whenever we find them,” said Diane McCarthy, who oversees San Mateo County’s “Avoid the 23” DUI program funded by the state's Office of Traffic Safety.

“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,” said Acting Chief Roay. “Violators often face jail time, the loss of their driver’s license, higher insurance rates, attorney fees, time away from work, and dozens of other expenses. So don’t take the chance. Remember, if you are caught over the limit, you will be placed under arrest.”

The national Drunk Driving: Over the Limit, Under Arrest impaired driving crackdown is a program organized by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that focuses on combining high-visibility enforcement with heightened public awareness through advertising and publicity. The Program is funded trough the California Office of Traffic Safety who reminds everyone to please Report Drunk Driving and Call 9-1-1!

This year’s effort is supported by $13 million in paid-national advertising to help put everyone on notice that if they are caught driving impaired, they will be arrested.

For more information, visit www.StopImpairedDriving.org and www.californiaavoid.org.

Media Notes: To schedule an interview regarding Anti Drunk-Driving efforts, or request a ride-along with law enforcement during the holiday period, please contact Sgt. Dave Mackriss at (650) 991-8183 or via email at dmackross@dalycity.org.