The last few weeks of summer are a popular time for parties and festivities, which often include alcohol, possibly increasing the risk that intoxicated drivers being on the road. To help keep the roads safe, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) will be running their drunk driving campaign called “Over the limit. Under arrest.” Starting on August 20th and running through September 6th, the crackdown includes increased police enforcement and checkpoints on the road, as well as TV and radio campaigns to warn drivers of the risks.

Since the annual NHTSA operation started back in 2003, it has been credited with helping to reduce drunk-driving accidents and fatalities. While the numbers have gone down slightly since 1994, alcohol-related crashes are still a major problem and continue to be responsible for about a third of all vehicle deaths. Almost 12,000 people, or 32 percent of all fatal crashes, were killed by drivers of passenger vehicles or motorcycles who had a blood-alcohol-content of at or above the legal limit of .08 percent in 2008. Young people age 21-24 have the highest percentage of deaths from drunk driving.