Shika? Use A Designated Driver, Crackdown on Drunk and Drugged Driving Begins

WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 -- The TEAM (Techniques for Effective Alcohol Management) Coalition, Inc. today urged fans to make use of a designated driver as a nationwide crackdown on drunk and drugged driving begins. TEAM joined the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and others to launch You Drink & Drive. You Lose. -- a national enforcement campaign to include sobriety checkpoints and saturation patrols in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico beginning December 20, 2002.

In issuing the call, TEAM Executive Director Jill Pepper said, "It's simple. We don't want our fans to put themselves or others in danger. Demographically, American sports fans tend to be young and male -- a group recognized to be at high-risk for drunk driving." She added, "TEAM's concerns do not stop at the end of an event. We strive to ensure fans reach their destinations safely through a designated driver program."

TEAM is a national alliance of professional sports leagues, stadium service partners, brewers, broadcasters and traffic safety experts that work to promote responsible drinking and positive fan behavior at sports facilities. Members include the National Football League, Major League Baseball, National Basketball Association, National Hockey League, NHTSA, ARAMARK, Beer Institute representing Anheuser-Busch, Miller Brewing Company and Coors Brewing Company, and the National Association of Broadcasters.

The event marked the release of the State Alcohol Related Fatality Rates Report, which concludes that alcohol-related fatalities are on the rise. "Impaired drivers represent one of our nation's greatest threats," said NHTSA Administrator Jeffrey W. Runge, M.D. "There are nearly one billion drinking and driving trips annually which kill more than 45 people every day. This crime will not be tolerated. Today marks the beginning of a year-long effort focused on what we know prevents impaired driving -- highly visible detection, arrest and prosecution."

In kicking off the enforcement campaign, NHTSA and TEAM were joined by the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and AAA.

"Today is about reenergizing efforts at the national and local levels to reduce alcohol-related crashes not just during the holiday season, not just on game day, but year round," Pepper said. "To You Drink & Drive. You Lose. TEAM would add, "You designate and everybody wins."