Strengthen Our Safe Community: Support 3D Prevention Month By [LOCAL 3D COALITION LEADER]

[TO CATCH THE READER’S ATTENTION, BEGIN WITH LOCAL, PERSONAL STORIES OF PEOPLE KILLED OR INJURED BY AN IMPAIRED DRIVER LAST DECEMBER.]

Our law enforcement officers, EMS professionals, and emergency room doctors and nurses see tragedies like this nearly every day. For the rest of us, it’s easy to ignore the impaired driving problem until it confronts us in our family, our neighborhood or our workplace. Every day, thousands of people make the decision to drive after they’ve been drinking. The problem worsens in December. [ADD AN EXPLANATION OF LOCAL STATISTICS]

The [LOCAL 3D COALITION], made up of [##] business, citizen, public health, law enforcement and safety groups, is doing something about it, and we invite you to join with us. We’re supporting:

• Drunk and Drugged Driving (3D) Prevention Month and this year’s campaign, Strengthening Safe Communities, which emphasizes that every part of the community (businesses and employers, citizen and civic groups, health care providers and public health agencies, law enforcement, prosecutors and judges, schools, government, the military, etc.) has a role to play in the fight against impaired driving [DROP IN INFORMATION ABOUT LOCAL EVENTS, IF APPROPRIATE.]

• Lights on for Life Day on Friday, December 18, when motorists are asked to drive with their headlights on all day to remind people about the impaired driving problem and to remember those killed by impaired drivers

• [LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES] as they participate in the National Holiday Lifesavers Weekend, Friday, December 18 through Sunday, December 20, when law enforcement agencies across the nation will increase enforcement efforts against impaired drivers, speeders, aggressive drivers, and others who make the roads especially dangerous at this time of year

• Proposed legislation scheduled to be voted upon by the state legislature in 1999 [ADD INFO ON BILL NAMES, NUMBER, CONTENT, SPONSORS, ETC.]

• The [CHAMBER OF COMMERCE]’s responsible server training adopted by [##] bars and restaurants here in our area and the designated driver program being promoting by [##] establishments in the area; [USE WHATEVER PROGRAMS YOU WANT TO HIGHLIGHT, ADD MORE INFORMATION ON YOUR LOCAL EFFORTS, ETC.]

Join with us for Drunk and Drugged Driving (3D) Prevention Month. Drive with your headlights on Friday, December 18. Designate a driver for holiday parties. Take the keys from a friend who’s had too much. Support alcohol-free holiday events and encourage your local government and civic leaders to do the same. And above all, don’t drink and drive. We want you home for the holidays.