Over the 2008 Labor Day holiday, GHSA Members joined forces with thousands of law enforcement agencies across the nation from August 15 throughout the Labor Day holiday to take part in the Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest. crackdown on impaired driving.
State-specific crackdown efforts are listed below. Drunk driving laws and additional resources are available on the GHSA Drunk Driving Laws page. For information on the national campaign, visit www.stopimpaireddriving.org.
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Alaska—The Alaska State Troopers and almost 30% of local police departments participated in the Labor Day crackdown.
A substantial increase in citations and contacts and the enjoyment of officers working a new territory were the results of multi-jurisdictional efforts during the Memorial Day mobilization and were repeated again during the Labor Day crackdown.
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Arizona—To launch the 2008 Labor Day DUI crackdown, AZ Governor's Office of Highway Safety (GOHS) held a press conference at the State Capitol on Aug. 14. Representatives from highway safety, law enforcement and safety partners participated. The event emphasized a new DUI/OUI (boating) campaign joint partnership between AZ GOHS and the AZ Game & Fish Department. Ads were placed on TV and radio in support of the crackdown national buys to remind people that whether they drive a car or boat, officers are working together to remove these dangerous people. Also, Arizona's 17 DUI Task Forces conducted sobriety checkpoints and saturation patrols throughout the campaign.
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Arkansas—The Arkansas State Police Highway Safety Office partnered with the Arkansas Association of Chiefs of Police and the Arkansas Sheriff's Association to kick off the Labor Day holiday Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest mobilization at a media event in Little Rock. More than 120 municipal law enforcement agencies, 26 county sheriffs departments, the Arkansas Highway Police and the Arkansas State Police were especially vigilant during this time looking for impaired drivers. The mobilization was accompanied by approximately $282,000 in paid ads for broadcast and cable television radio and online, with extra added value donated by the media.
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California—California’s 41 Avoid DUI Taskforces, along with more than 100 individual jurisdictions, mounted special enforcement mobilizations Aug. 15 through Sept. 1, with extra checkpoints and saturation patrols covering 98 percent of the state’s population. Each of the 41 separate Avoid regions also pushed press releases and media events. The California Office of Traffic Safety used newly released positive DUI fatality figures to help promote the crackdown in a statewide press releases and at media events.
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Connecticut—Connecticut had 95 individual municipalities/resident trooper towns with DUI enforcement projects.
Using Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest. funding, 40 DUI checkpoints were planned throughout the Labor Day enforcement period.
In addition to these checkpoints, the law enforcement conducted numerous DUI saturation patrols. Five comprehensive public outreach events (on belts, safety seats, drunk driving and motorcycle safety) were also scheduled throughout August.
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Colorado—The Colorado Department of Transportation and statewide law enforcement agencies kicked off the national DUI mobilization with a media tour August 12-15. A media event was also held with Colorado State Parks to promote enforcement on roadways and waterways in Colorado. More than 65 Colorado law enforcement agencies participated in saturation, increased patrols and multi jurisdictional checkpoints throughout the crackdown period.
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Delaware—Delaware conducted nine DUI checkpoints and several saturation patrols during the crackdown. In all, 32 police agencies–most of Delaware's law enforcement community– participated. The Office of Highway Safety (OHS) increased its paid public awareness messages, using a combination of billboards, radio (English and Spanish), and print ads, as well as Internet, transit, and indoor advertising. OHS provided information and materials to the corporate community, and NHTSA-designed posters were placed in area bars and restaurants. The crackdown ran in conjunction with Delaware's Checkpoint Strikeforce campaign–a six-month long regional sobriety checkpoint initiative aimed at arresting impaired drivers, which continued through New Year's Eve.
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Florida—Law enforcement agencies in Florida stepped up enforcement through checkpoints and saturation patrols. Agencies conducted local press events, capitalizing on the earned media in local markets across the state. MADD representatives participated in many of these local press events. The Law Enforcement Liaisons (LELs) conducted area network meetings and distributed public information and education materials to law enforcement agencies. Traffic Safety Office staff and members of the LEL team worked with the Florida Association of Chiefs of Police and the Florida Sheriffs Association to plan the crackdown.
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Georgia—The Georgia Governor's Office of Highway Safety's (GOHS) kickoff news conference premiered a new impaired driving educational video. Regional traffic enforcement networks conducted sobriety checkpoints, concentrated patrols and impaired driving campaign media events at 16 locations to announce the “Operation Zero Tolerance” holiday travel period initiative. During the week leading up to this initiative, Georgia law enforcement lined up at State Welcome Centers to greet motorists as part of the 17th annual Hands Across The Border highway safety awareness campaign. Georgia police joined partners from five border states to crack down on impaired drivers and send the message that safe driving doesn't stop at the state line. For more information, visit www.gahighwaysafety.org.
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Hawaii—Hawaii's four county police departments conducted high visibility enforcement throughout the crackdown. In addition to the national campaign, the Hawaii Department of Transportation has implemented a “52/12” enforcement program by increasing the frequency of sobriety checkpoints to a minimum of 52 sobriety checkpoints per year in each county. Each county police department determines the dates and locations based on their own traffic crash data. Hawaii has also produced TV and radio spots using the new national slogan and is spending approximately $200,000 on a statewide media buy during 2008. These spots were aired during the national Labor Day crackdown and from Thanksgiving Day weekend through January 2, 2009.
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Idaho—Thirty-five agencies were signed up to perform overtime emphasis patrols from Aug. 22 through Labor Day weekend. Idaho has produced in-house a PSA video and a radio spot that were aired during the emphasis patrol period. Billboards went up statewide with the Over The Limit, Under Arrest message. There were live reads at Boise Hawks Baseball games in the stadium as well as over the radio. The Boise Hawks are a farm team for the Chicago Cubs.
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Illinois—Illinois realizes that its #1 problem with serious traffic injuries and fatalities is impaired driving. In 2006, impaired driving was a contributory cause in 48 percent of all fatalities. The 2008 Labor Day weekend, more than $1 million were used for law enforcement overtime to get drunk drivers off of the road. If you Drink and Drive in Illinois, You Lose.
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Indiana—On Aug. 13th, the Traffic Safety and Communications divisions of the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute (ICJI) hosted a news conference to kick off the statewide crackdown. ICJI has invited the Governor, Indianapolis mayor, Indiana MADD, Indiana SADD, Commission on Latino/Hispanic Affairs, and the Indiana State Department of Health. Indiana’s Law Enforcement Liaison’s (LELs) were requested to host similar events in their respective regions. The kickoff event took place at a sobriety checkpoint in Indianapolis to give media an opportunity to observe a mock impaired driving detection process. The location was a largely populated Hispanic area, and ICJI utilized translators during the event. ICJI’s Communications division also conducted extensive outreach highlighting the crackdown.
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Iowa—The Iowa Governor's Traffic Safety Bureau (GTSB) held two events in conjunction with the national crackdown. First, a statewide Special Traffic Enforcement Program (sTEP) wave ran Aug. 18 - Aug. 31. Approximately 176 departments conducted increased traffic safety enforcement on the state highways. The second event was operation I's (Interstates). Scheduled for August 28, this enforcement event concentrated on speed, impaired driving, aggressive driving and seat belts and included some nighttime enforcement. The target area was on and around all Iowa Interstate systems. Thirty-five counties and 214 law enforcement departments were asked to participate in Operation I's.
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Kansas—The Kansas Bureau of Traffic Safety kicked off the crackdown with a media event on 08/08/08, capitalizing off the ".08" connection to drunk driving. The Bureau staged the media event at a jail and included a tour of the jail, taking the media through the process someone arrested for a DUI goes through. Kansas spent about $115,000 in paid media, including TV, radio and online ads, including some impaired motorcycle riding ads. The Bureau also funded overtime enforcement for more than100 local law enforcement agencies and the Kansas Highway Patrol.
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Kentucky—The Kentucky Office of Highway Safety held a press conference Aug. 14 on the front steps of the Capitol to kick off the crackdown. Throughout the campaign, Kentucky spent more than $200,000 on radio and television advertisement. Twelve public information officers across the state promoted the campaign as well, with events scheduled throughout the state. Earned media resulted from the events scheduled across the state and through the public information officers and local law enforcement.
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Louisiana—The Louisiana Highway Safety Commission aggressively promoted the national campaign. Law enforcement agencies throughout Louisiana participated in saturation patrols and sobriety checkpoints. Overtime funded by the LHSC exceeded $200,000 for the campaign. Paid media was advertising the increased patrols and the legal and financial consequences of driving while impaired and complimented the enforcement in all seven media markets throughout the state. The marketing outreach also incorporated an impaired driving prevention message for motorcyclists.
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Maine—The Maine Bureau of Highway Safety partnered with more than 55 Maine law enforcement agencies and the Maine State Police to conduct OUI patrols and roadblocks for the entire spring and summer of 2008, including the two weeks of the national Labor Day crackdown campaign. All participating agencies conducted details or roadblocks during hours determined by them to be most productive for enforcement. Police worked with their local media outlets to alert the public. A statewide media kickoff event was planned to correspond with the beginning of the national crackdown.
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Maryland—Maryland conducted 11 DUI checkpoints over Labor Day weekend along with several saturation patrols. More than 40 law enforcement agencies participated in the crackdown. The Maryland Highway Safety Office (MHSO) supplemented enforcement efforts with paid media, including billboards, Comcast cable buys, radio and Internet. The crackdown coincided with the Checkpoint Strikeforce campaign -- a regional initiative with the aim of curbing impaired driving through the use of education, enforcement and outreach in highly targeted jurisdictions throughout the state. The Checkpoint Strikeforce campaign lasted through December.
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Massachusetts—The Executive Office of Public Safety and Security's Highway Safety Division provided grants to the State Police and more than 240 local and campus police departments to conduct additional saturation patrols and sobriety checkpoints. Many checkpoints utilized the State Police's two Breath Alcohol Testing (BAT) Mobiles. An Aug. 27 press event spotlighted the extra enforcement, which was complemented by a statewide public information campaign involving radio and TV ads (in Spanish and English), restroom posters in sports venues, bars, and restaurants, and variable message boards. Banners, literature, and a sample news release were distributed to help law enforcement conduct local earned media and community outreach. For more information, visit www.mass.gov/highwaysafety.
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Michigan—The Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning coordinated six media events across the state during the week of August 18. The event theme was Michigan's DUI court programs. Speakers included a DUI court graduate, the presiding judge, the county prosecutor and local law enforcement. Michigan featured the positive impact that the DUI court have had in the life of a drunk driving defendant.
Overtime enforcement activity over the two-week crackdown period was planned by state, local and county law enforcement agencies. Enforcement was supported by paid media in the state's major media markets.
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Minnesota—The GOP convention in St. Paul during Labor Day led Minnesota to shift its DWI crackdown to July. The state recruited and created two teams of “Minnesota DWI Enforcer All-Stars," based on the highest tallies of 2007 DWI arrests. This was the main media hook for the kickoff news conference at the Minneapolis Metrodome. The event secured great media coverage, including mention during the Twins pre-game show and a live TV interview with the Department of Public Safety Commissioner Michael Campion. Minnesota developed www.minnesotasafeandsober.org, allowing visitors to send an electronic “Designated Driver Gift Certificate”–offering a friend a safe ride for a night out. Minnesota also provided "Over the Limit" window clings and other promotional material to partners and bars across the state.
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Mississippi—The Mississippi Governors Office of Highway Safety promoted the national campaign. State, county and local municipal law enforcement agencies conducted high visibility enforcement efforts statewide. Customized press articles, proclamations and news releases were distributed to law enforcement agencies. Agencies also received roll call video and presentations to promote a strong DUI enforcement effort. Law Enforcement Liaison network meetings, one in each of the nine highway patrol districts, were held to promote the campaign, and a statewide press event kicked off the media and enforcement efforts.
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Missouri—More than 150 law enforcement agencies agreed to participate for Missouri's 2008 impaired driving crackdown–You Drink & Drive. You Lose. A press event was held Aug. 7 in central Missouri at a police booking station. Media began Aug. 11, with a new television spot enforcing the consequences of impaired driving by using a play on words. The spot began with scenes of a beer mug and shot glass and ends with an impaired driver's police station mug shot.
Media kits were mailed to each media outlet in the state and included magnets with the YDDYL logo and the website www.saveMOlives.com, which contained additional statistics, media and online banner ads..
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Nebraska—Nebraska added 12,000 hours of enforcement, including sobriety check points, saturation patrols, special underage drinking enforcements and educational events. A mid-mobilization activity news conference promoting the effort featured a vehicle in which four family members were killed in a head on crash by a five time convicted drunk driver. Another promotional effort took place at the first University of Nebraska's home football game day on August 30, designated as "Highway Safety Day" by the Husker Sports Network. Pre-game activities included a vehicle with an ignition interlock device, Fatal Vision goggle demonstrations, voluntary preliminary breath testing for fans and a Highway Safety booth display.
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New Hampshire—New Hampshire conducted statewide DWI Hunter Patrols and Sobriety Checkpoints on Aug. 22-23, involving NH State Police and 59 local and county law enforcement agencies.
In addition, state, county and local enforcement agencies conducted overtime DWI patrols and checkpoints throughout the NH Highway Safety Agency's mobilization period.
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New Jersey—Local law enforcement agencies and the State Police conducted saturation patrols and sobriety checkpoints Aug. 15 - Sept. 1. The 2008 crackdown, supported by public awareness activities, focused on both motor vehicle drivers and motorcyclists. Participating agencies distributed news releases on their local efforts. A statewide news release, focusing on New Jersey's commitment to combating drunk driving, was sent to media outlets in New Jersey, New York City and Philadelphia. The news release listed six DWI checkpoints across the state and encouraged media to stop by the for localized stories. Additional information is available at www.njsaferoads.com.
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New Mexico—Nearly 100 law enforcement agencies across the state conducted sobriety checkpoints, saturation patrols, nighttime seatbelt enforcement, occupant protection enforcement and other activities aimed at reducing vehicle fatalities and alcohol-related fatalities. The crackdown included press events and paid and earned media in the statewide, Albuquerque and El Paso markets, with the message "You Drink, You Drive, You Lose." As the crackdown kicked off, New Mexico completed its second year of the successful 100 Days and Nights of Summer traffic safety campaign, a combined law enforcement effort focusing on DWI, aggressive driving, speeding, occupant protection and other traffic violations with the goal of reducing death and injury on New Mexico's public roadways during high travel months.
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New York—As part of New York's continuing efforts to combat impaired driving, more than 500 local law enforcement agencies and the State Police conducted saturation patrols and sobriety checkpoints throughout the state from August 15 through September 1, as part of the national Over the Limit. Under Arrest. campaign. The campaign was supported by local STOP-DWI Association public awareness events and a kickoff press conference was held on the State Capitol.
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North Carolina—The North Carolina Governor's Highway Safety Program kicked off its 2008 Labor Day "Booze It & Lose It" campaign with two media events August 14-15. Coinciding with the beginning of football season, the events were held at the football stadiums of East Carolina University and Elon University. State and local law enforcement officers were invited to attend in an effort to send a strong message out to the motoring public about the importance of not drinking and driving.
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North Dakota—North Dakota conducted heightened overtime DUI enforcement throughout the state during the national crackdown. Law enforcement officials and the North Dakota Safe Communities collaborated to provide community-based earned media events that will enhance the visibility of the enforcement efforts. Examples of local activities included: press conferences, television/radio talk show interviews and newspaper editorials. In addition, local bars, restaurants, retail establishments and speedways displayed printed materials.
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Ohio—Ohio's activities involved more than 900 law enforcement agencies and local safety partners. Media events were conducted by 30 Safe Community programs and 10 county-wide DUI Tasks Forces. Approximately 25 checkpoints were planned.
The crackdown also included approximately $250,000 in paid media, and Ohio DOT was asked to post messages on their overhead message boards.
A statewide kickoff was held Aug. 18 in Columbus. Police agencies were encouraged to send people to the event to demonstrate equipment or tools they use to track impaired driving. The state also held a pilot Sobriety Checkpoint Roundtable in the Columbus area, inviting members of diverse communities and media outlets to a discussion with members of the Ohio Traffic Safety Office and the local OVI Task Force.
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Oklahoma—Oklahoma supported the crackdown through a concentrated effort involving more than 150 law enforcement agencies, including Highway Patrol, County Sheriff's Office, City Police Departments, Campus Police Departments, Military Police and Tribal Law Enforcement Agencies. The combined statewide effort included paid and earned media as well as potential incentive awards for participating agencies. Agencies signed up to participate using the online registration and reporting system on the Oklahoma Highway Safety Office Website at www.ohso.ok.gov.
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Pennsylvania—More than 300 municipal police departments and the Pennsylvania State Police conducted DUI enforcement activities across the Commonwealth during the crackdown period. Almost 400 sobriety checkpoints and roving patrols were conducted. The earned media component consisted of news releases and other material highlighting the costs of a DUI offense. A paid media effort emphasized the dangers of underage drinking as well as underage drinking and driving.
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Rhode Island—The Rhode Island Governor's Office of Highway Safety held a press event
on Friday, .08.08.08. The media hook was .08. It's the Law Every Day. This event featured a display of an RIDOT message board damaged by a motorist who recorded the highest BAC in the history of the State Police.
A total of 36 municipal police departments and
five State Police Barracks participated in the increased enforcement. Operation Blue RIPTIDE (Rhode Island Police Teaming for Impaired Driving Enforcement) Posts the Coast coordinated high visibility DUI patrols among several coastal communities and was publicized through strategically placed state and local message signs. A $160,000 paid media budget supported the crackdown, and outreach also included an appearance at the 95.5 WBRU-FM Summer Concert.
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South Carolina—The Sober or Slammer! campaign combined paid/earned media with enforcement to reduce the number of impaired driving traffic injuries and fatalities. The SC Department of Public Safety's (SCDPS) Office of Highway Safety's $650,000 media effort featured30-second TV ads and a radio spot. Digital billboards were also used and were be updated as the campaign progressed.
The Highway Patrol and the State Transport Police partnered with more than 170 agencies to conduct aggressive DUI enforcement. On Aug. 15, press events were held in local cemeteries to drive home the message that DUI often results in death. SCDPS partnered with the SC Department of Transportation to post messages on variable message boards, and law enforcement were encouraged to coordinate their activities near these boards to achieve the greatest results.
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South Dakota—South Dakota conducted heightened overtime DUI enforcement throughout the national crackdown. Law enforcement officials and the Department of Public Service public information officer collaborated to provide community-based earned media events to enhance the visibility of the enforcement efforts. Floor mats with the Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest. logo were adhered to the floor in front of coolers at beer and wine points of sale. The state also put up billboards advising that a first offense DUI is South Dakota costs $4,000.
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Tennessee—Throughout the mobilization period, approximately 300 law enforcement agencies across Tennessee cracked down on drivers choosing to drink and drive. The Tennessee Governor's Highway Safety Office used the message "Booze It and Lose It" in outreach and publicity materials. A press conference was held on August 28. Held in partnership with the Tennessee Department of Safety, Metro Nashville Police Department and MADD, the press conference took place following the 21st Annual Tennessee Lifesavers Conference Awards Luncheon at the Sheraton Music City Hotel.
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Texas—The Texas Labor Day campaign included radio and TV PSAs, billboards, gas pump-toppers, interactive online advertising, and a partnership with the Dallas Cowboys.
Earned media and outreach included distribution of a statewide video package in English and Spanish, a statewide news release (with a campaign description and photo), promotional and education items, On the Road in Texas radio features, Texas Driver Quiz features, campaign Fact Sheets, and updating the TxDOT website. In addition to the year-long enforcement grants, Texas had an additional 34 law enforcement agencies conducting overtime DWI enforcement through impaired driving mobilization grants. Each agency also did pre- and post-crackdown media campaigns. An incentive award program was conducted to recognize 20 agencies that participated in the mobilization.
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Utah—The Utah Highway Safety Office held several media outreach activities to complement the Labor Day crackdown. The primary target audience was 21-34 year-olds who frequents or bars and clubs. The secondary target audience was 19-27 year-old college students and seniors in high school. Both target audiences were skewed toward males. Media campaign activities included outdoor billboard advertising, an online interactive campaign, a radio message, print ads in college papers across the state, and a press conferences on the University of Utah campus, with representatives from other Utah colleges and universities.
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Vermont—Vermont marked the nationwide mobilization with local enforcement initiatives and statewide roving task forces. The kickoff press conference was held in Bennington on Bennington Battle Day (August 16), a holiday specific to Vermont and the Civil War, in a restaurant/bar where the owner closed down early on St. Patrick's Day and made sure all his patrons had safe passage home. The enforcement effort is being supported by paid media with a new commercial. The Agency of Transportation and Associated General Contractors of Vermont were asked to display impaired driving messages on variable message boards.
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Washington—Washington Traffic Safety Commission launched a $400,000 campaign to support the national Labor Day crackdown. The campaign included:
a pre-campaign knowledge and awareness survey;
highly visible saturation patrols conducted by more than 100 law enforcement agencies; a
$200,000 TV media campaign targeting young male drivers;
an earned media campaign focusing on local county victims of DUI; and a post-campaign knowledge and awareness survey.
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West Virginia—The West Virginia Governor's Highway Safety Office, along with the West Virginia Commission on Drunk Driving Prevention (CDDP), the West Virginia State Police and local Law Enforcement Partners aggressively promoted the national campaign. Law enforcement agencies throughout the state participated in saturation patrols and sobriety checkpoints. More than $200,000 in overtime for the campaign was funded by the Governor's Highway Safety Program and CDDP. An additional $150,000 financed paid media to advertise the campaign's strong enforcement message in all media markets throughout the state.
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Wisconsin—More than 200 law enforcement agencies statewide participated in the intensified enforcement crackdown. As part of the kickoff, MADD President Laura Dean-Mooney and other national, state and local officials held a town hall meeting in the Madison area on August 14 to develop strategies to combat drunken driving. The crackdown message appeared in media around the state and was displayed on the scoreboard at Camp Randall stadium during the University of Wisconsin's football game on August 30.
- Wyoming—Forty-five agencies used portions of their grant funds to support the crackdown campaign through both regular and overtime shifts. The Department of Transportation spent approximately $40,000 on enforcement, focusing statewide media on television, newspaper and radio. The Department of Health, Substance Abuse Division used their grant funds to create and run a new DUI television ad on Labor Day. Highway dynamic message signs also displayed the DUI enforcement message.
