To The Telegram:
Drunk driving is all too prevalent and deadly in Wisconsin. According to a federal government survey released in April, our state has the shameful distinction of having the highest rate of drunk driving in the nation with approximately one in four Wisconsin adults admitting to driving while under the influence of alcohol in the past year.
Drunk driving is not a victimless crime. Last year, alcohol-related traffic crashes killed 337 people in Wisconsin and injured 5,552.
These numbers don't tell the whole story. Perhaps you or someone you know has lost a parent, a child, a close friend or a loved one in a terrible traffic crash caused by an alcohol-impaired driver. Although drunk drivers may not consciously intend to harm anyone, their careless disregard for human life frequently results in tragedy. We can't calculate the enormous grief of families who buried a loved one or the persistent pain endured by those seriously injured as the result of an alcohol-related crash.
To stop drunk drivers and get them off our roads, hundreds of law enforcement agencies from all over Wisconsin will be out in force from Aug. 15 through Labor Day as part of a nationwide crackdown called "Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest."
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Police officers, sheriff's deputies and state troopers will be patrolling for longer hours and in greater numbers to combat drunk driving. And when officers stop drunken drivers, they will arrest them -- no exceptions, no warnings and no second chances.
You also can help combat drunken driving by serving as a designated driver and not letting friends drive while impaired. And if you see a drunk driver on the road, call your local law enforcement agency or dial 911. We need everyone's help to stop this senseless and entirely preventable loss of life.
-- Frank Busalacchi,
secretary, Wisconsin Department of Transportation
