October, 1999

Impaired driving is an issue that not only affects all those on the road, but also the entire community. To remind Americans of this important fact, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is sending a message to the nation’s drivers: You Drink & Drive. You Lose.

In 1994, NHTSA was issued a challenge to develop a long-term, national program that would reduce the incidence of alcohol-related driving fatalities and prioritize the issue of impaired driving in the nation’s agenda. To address this challenge, NHTSA solicited community-based partnerships to gain the insight of the public and private sectors. Through these partnerships, we developed a variety of programs, recommendations and materials, all aimed at the goal of reducing the number of fatalities attributed to impaired driving to no more than 11,000 per year by the year 2005.

In support of that goal, NHTSA is initiating its You Drink & Drive. You Lose. campaign. Through partnerships with law enforcement organizations including the National Association of Governors’ Highway Safety Representatives, Operation C.A.R.E. (Combined Accident Reduction Effort), the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the National Sheriffs’ Association and the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, the campaign will feature nationwide enforcement periods targeting impaired drivers.

To this end, we are asking local authorities to engage in enforcement efforts in their communities, pinpointing areas most prone to impaired driving-related incidents. While these enforcement efforts represent only one component of our overall public awareness campaign, they will increase the per-ceived risk of arrest for impaired drivers, and reinforce local law enforcement agencies’ commitment to reducing the incidence of impaired driving in their communities.

The materials in this kit have been designed to assist you in organizing your local enforcement efforts. By providing these tools, NHTSA and the You Drink & Drive. You Lose. partners hope to help make each community program a success and prove the “11,000 by 2005” goal achievable. By working together, through building partnerships and increasing public awareness, we can save lives; because when You Drink & Drive. You Lose.

Ricardo A. Martinez, M.D.
Administrator
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration