ANN ARBOR—With more people expected to travel on America’s highways during the extended Fourth of July holiday, the week could be one of the deadliest periods ever for impaired driving fatalities. To help protect area families, the University of Michigan Department of Public Safety (DPS) will join forces with other law enforcement agencies across the country to help protect citizens from impaired drivers. As part of the “You Drink and Drive. You Lose.” national mobilization, DPS officers will conduct directed patrols to arrest impaired drivers.

“Impaired driving is no accident,” said DPS Director William Bess. “It’s a crime that kills every 32 minutes. Our message is a simple one&#151You Drink and Drive. You Lose. If arrested, you can lose your license, time from your job, and lose money in fines and court costs. If you are involved in an accident while impaired, you could face possible imprisonment for vehicular manslaughter or homicide.”

After several years of improvement, more recent impaired driving statistics released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration show alcohol-related deaths increased for the first time since 1995, from 15,976 in 1999 to 16,653 in 2000. This is the first year DPS has participated in this campaign.

E-mail: dianebr@umich.edu

Department of Public SafetyNational Highway Traffic Safety Administrationdianebr@umich.edu