Initiative takes aim at teen drunken driving
Posted on Friday, March 28, 2008
Arkansas State Police will join with the Washington County Sheriff's Office and Fayetteville police this weekend in a statewide campaign aimed at reducing the number of underage drunken drivers.
Today and Saturday, the Highway Safety Office will work closely with city and county law enforcement agencies along with state troopers to reduce the number of alcohol-related crashes among Arkansas youth.
"Before the prom, spring break and upcoming graduation season, we want to send the message out early and be very clear about the fact that there is a zero tolerance policy for anyone under the age of 21 when it comes to drinking and driving in Arkansas," said Col. Winford E. Phillips, director of the Arkansas State Police and the Governor's Highway Safety representative.
The prevention campaign includes enforcement operations, media awareness campaigns and school-based educational activities. Additionally, the State Department of Education has distributed posters to public high schools urging them to make their students aware of this initiative. According to highway safety officials, motor vehicle crashes are the number one killer of teens in the U. S. and nearly onethird of those deadly crashes are alcohol-related. The campaign is being funded by the Selective Traffic Enforcement Program, or STEP.
"Every year during endof-school celebrations there are young people under the age of 21 who consume alcohol at proms and parties and are injured or killed in highway crashes," Phillips said. "We want to do whatever we can to prevent families from having to endure that kind of tragedy."
More than 40 state and local police agencies will conduct a variety of enforcement activities including saturation patrols and sobriety checkpoints. Arkansas youth also will be exposed to radio and television advertisements about the enforcement operations. Local schools, in partnership with the Arkansas Department of Education, will coordinate a variety of educational programs meant to prevent the use of alcohol by students.
Under Arkansas' DUI law, the following penalties apply to drivers younger than 21 who drive with a blood alcohol concentration of 0. 02 to 0. 08 • Revocation of driver's license for 90 days (first offense )
• Fine ranging between $ 100 and $ 500 • Mandatory completion of alcohol and driving education programs • Minors with a blood alcohol concentration of 0. 08 or higher face tougher penalties • Suspension of driver's license for refusing chemical test For more information on drinking and driving and underage drinking, go online to www. stopimpaireddriving. com or www. arunderagedrinking. com.
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