NHTSA Announces 2012 National Crackdown on Impaired Motorcycle Riding

The National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA) exists for one reason: to make America’s highways and roadways safer for all of us to travel. The NHTSA has recently launched a national campaign to prevent motorcycle drunk riding nationwide.

The Traffic Safety Marketing division announces the Drunk Riding Prevention National Enforcement Crackdown for all motorcyclists. Beginning August 17 and ending September 3, 2012, the “Crackdown” includes the Labor Day weekend.

According to the NHTSA:

• The year 2010 brought 10,228 total traffic deaths in which at least one driver or rider had a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.08 or higher.
• Every state in the nation agrees that a BAC of 0.08 or higher constitutes “drunk driving”.
• Law enforcement and public awareness can work together to reduce the number of impaired driving fatalities

This year’s Crackdown is using the slogan, “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over”. They have prepared banners, posters, radio announcements, news releases and social media information; all are available on their website.

A news release includes the following information for communities to use:

• “Research has shown that high-visibility enforcement like the ‘Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over’ campaign reduces alcohol-impaired fatalities by as much as 20%.”
• The campaign will include “high-visibility enforcement, high-profile events and will be supported by national paid advertising . . .”
• Law enforcement agencies will be “aggressively looking for impaired drivers during the crackdown and will arrest anyone caught driving impaired”.
• “ . . . violators face jail time, loss of their driver licenses, and steep financial consequences . . . “

The Memphis motorcycle accident attorneys at Bailey & Greer applaud the NHTSA efforts to reduce the number of Tennessee motorcycle crash fatalities here in our home state and around the country. We also offer an initial free case consultation for the victims of bike accidents. Call us toll free today at 901-680-9777 to learn more.