Booze & Belts traffic safety mobilization aims to save lives

December 10, 2007

 Law enforcement agencies will intensify enforcement December 10-16

More than 700 people have died in Wisconsin traffic crashes so far this year, which means that hundreds of families will be missing a loved one this holiday season. Each traffic death is heartbreaking especially when so many fatal crashes are preventable.

To prevent needless deaths and serious injuries by getting motorists to buckle up and drive sober during the holiday season, more than 100 law enforcement agencies throughout Wisconsin will mobilize for the "Booze & Belts" traffic safety effort from Dec. 10-16.

The high-visibility enforcement during the Booze & Belts mobilization will be backed by federally funded media messages to deter impaired driving and increase compliance with the state's mandatory safety belt law.

"Officers in rural areas, small towns and big cities will be patrolling in greater numbers and for longer hours to arrest impaired drivers and enforce safety belt laws during the mobilization. However, this vigilant enforcement effort is not about writing more tickets. It's about saving lives," said Wisconsin State Patrol Superintendent David Collins. "The Booze & Belts mobilization message is simple. Officers are cracking down on drunken drivers and unbelted motorists. We hope that during the upcoming holiday season people will voluntarily choose to buckle up and drive sober, if not for themselves then for their families and loved ones. But if they don't, the added law enforcement during the mobilization will increase their risk of getting caught. According to a popular song, there's no place like home for the holidays. And we want to make sure that people make it home safely."

For more information, contact:
George Silverwood, State Patrol Bureau of Transportation Safety
(608) 266-9860