Officers from the “Avoid the 25” law enforcement agencies will be out in full force during the Summer Mobilization that covers the Labor Day holiday. The 18-day mobilization begins Aug. 21 and concludes Sept. 7. The “Avoid the 25” agencies 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.

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 of .08 or higher. In California, the provisional data for 2008 just released indicates that 1,029 people died in alcohol-involved collisions. This data reveals a 9 percent reduction in deaths compared to 2007.

According to “Avoid the 25” Coordinator Sgt. David Cook of the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office, “Make no mistake. Our message is simple. No matter if you’re driving or riding a motorcycle – if we catch you driving impaired, we will arrest you. No exceptions. No excuses. We will be out in force to get more drunk drivers off the road and save lives that might otherwise be lost.”

“Avoid the 25” will be hosting the following enforcement operations:

Aug. 28 – Pittsburg, sobriety checkpoint

Aug. 29 – Martinez, sobriety checkpoint

Sept. 4 – El Cerrito, sobriety checkpoint

Sept. 6 – Pittsburg, sobriety checkpoint

In addition, a DUI task force saturation patrol, a DUI warrant arrest team and other operations are also planned during the mobilization.

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, which focuses on combining high-visibility enforcement with heightened public awareness through advertising, publicity and education. The program is funded through the California Office of Traffic Safety, which reminds everyone that to report drunk driving, call 911.

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