Archives of the Mayor's Press Office

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: Thursday, September 2, 1999

Release #344-99

Contact: Sunny Mindel/Matthew Higgins (212) 788-2958
Marilyn Mode, DCPI (212) 374-6700


NEW YORK CITY HOSTS NATIONAL SOBRIETY CHECKPOINT WEEK KICKOFF, A NATIONWIDE LAW ENFORCEMENT BLITZ AND PUBLIC EDUCATION CAMPAIGN TO COMBAT DRUNK DRIVING OVER THE LABOR DAY HOLIDAY WEEKEND

Police Commissioner Warns Drivers of Holiday Weekend Crackdown on Drunk Driving

New York City today hosted the kickoff of National Sobriety Checkpoint Week, a nationwide crackdown and public education campaign sponsored by Mothers Against Drunk Driving. The annual campaign features the widespread use of highly effective sobriety checkpoints throughout the country to fight drunk driving. Police Commissioner Howard Safir joined officials from MADD, the U.S. Department of Transportation, the law enforcement community and victims of drunk driving to launch National Sobriety Checkpoint Week on the eve of Labor Day weekend -- when hundreds of Americans are killed every year by drunk drivers.

Mayor Giuliani and Commissioner Safir today also announced that as of August 15th, alcohol-related fatalities are down 50 percent and alcohol-related accidents are down over 17 percent since New York City implemented its highly successful DWI car seizure initiative. In an effort to further reduce drunk driving, the New York City Police Department will also be establishing sobriety checkpoints throughout the City over the Labor Day weekend.

"Every Labor Day weekend, what begins as a joyous time for millions of Americans to celebrate the passage of summer also ends in tragedy for thousands of drunk driving victims," the Mayor said. "Over the last decade, our nation has had remarkable success in reducing the number of alcohol-related fatalities and injuries thanks to the vigilance of the law enforcement community and organizations such as MADD. An important tool in our war against this preventable crime is the use of sobriety checkpoints, which are responsible for saving countless lives.

The Mayor continued, "This year alone in New York City, the use of sobriety checkpoints coupled with vehicle seizure and stiff penalties has reduced alcohol-related fatalities dramatically. I applaud MADD for encouraging municipalities throughout the country to incorporate the use of sobriety checkpoints into their overall DWI enforcement strategy."

Police Commissioner Safir said, "We are especially proud that MADD has chosen New York City as the site for this year's kickoff event because of our reputation as one of the strictest combatants against drunk driving in the United States. In New York City, we view getting behind the wheel of a car as a serious and selfish crime - and one which will not be tolerated. The NYPD is committed to taking drunk drivers off our City's streets once and for all. National Sobriety Checkpoint Week is a great idea-particularly because we know DWI checkpoints are an invaluable way of identifying the drunk drivers on our streets. The message is simple - with over 40 checkpoints throughout the City this holiday weekend - if you are driving under the influence, we are going to find you and arrest you."

MADD National President Karolyn Nunnallee said, "MADD applauds the Mayor for his strong and innovative stance against drunk driving, and for being the first Mayor in the nation to look at civil forfeiture of drunk drivers' vehicles. This approach is innovative, it's tough, it's proactive and it surely has everyone's attention. If you choose to drink and drive this holiday weekend, the chance that you will get caught is greater than ever."

Under New York City's DWI car-seizure initiative implemented on February 22 1999, drivers who test .10 BAC or higher have their vehicles seized. The city then institutes civil forfeiture proceedings against the vehicle as an instrumentality of crime. Since the initiative began, 893 vehicles have been seized through September 1.

The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of sobriety checkpoints in 1990. Currently, 40 states and the District of Columbia conduct checkpoints. Numerous independent public opinion polls have consistently shown strong public support for sobriety checkpoints. The time it takes someone to go through a checkpoint is about the same as a stop at a traffic light or an airport security checkpoint.

The National Safety Council predicts that 468 people are likely to die on the nation's highways during Labor Day weekend this year and that 246 deaths (53 percent) could be alcohol-related. During the Labor Day holiday last year, 464 Americans were killed in highway crashes and 50 percent were alcohol-related.

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