FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date: August 19, 2004

Media Contact:

Jennifer Wagner, 317-232-1292

Statewide and Marion County media campaigns

to focus on consequences of impaired driving

The Governor’s Council on Impaired & Dangerous Driving will kick off its annual impaired driving campaign with the unveiling of the statewide media message and the announcement of a groundbreaking initiative that will focus on impaired driving education within the Marion County Latino community.

            WHEN:             Thursday, August 19, 2004

                                    10 a.m.

            WHERE:           Indianapolis Police Department West District

                                    551 N. King Avenue

Mayor Bart Peterson, who chairs the Governor’s Council, will present the media message for the statewide campaign and will discuss the Marion County initiative, which was developed through a partnership between the Governor’s Council and the Mayor’s Office.

Increased statewide impaired driving enforcement begins August 27 and runs through the Labor Day holiday season until September 12.  Law enforcement agencies and officers across the state will step up roving patrols and sobriety checkpoints in an effort to crack down on impaired driving on Indiana roadways during this period.

The Marion County initiative will focus less on enforcement and more on education.  According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which funds both the statewide and local campaigns, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among Latinos ages 1-34, and alcohol-related crashes account for about half of all Latino traffic-related fatalities.

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