FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oct. 26, 2016
MDTA POLICE STEPPING UP IMPAIRED
DRIVING ENFORCEMENT DURING HALLOWEEN
DRIVING SHOULDN’T BE SCARY
BALTIMORE, MD – The Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) Police will be out in full force from Friday, Oct. 28, 2016, through Monday, Oct. 31, 2016, focusing enforcement efforts on impaired, distracted and aggressive drivers.
“We remind drivers that drinking alcohol and getting behind the wheel should never happen,” said MDTA Police Chief Col. Jerry Jones.
Halloween is meant to be scary, but not when it comes to driving. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Halloween is a particularly deadly night due to drunk drivers. In 2015, over half (52%) of all highway fatalities across the nation on Halloween night involved a driver or motorcycle rider with a Blood Alcohol Content of .08 or higher.
The MDTA Police want to remind you to have a three step plan prior to going out for a night of drinking.
- Choose a designated driver.
- Call a taxi or ride share service.
- Take public transportation.
The MDTA Police are committed to reducing traffic crashes that result in serious injuries and deaths on our roadways. So far this year, the MDTA Police have made 770 impaired-driving arrests.
The MDTA Police supports the “Toward Zero Deaths” campaign -- a partnership to save lives and prevent injuries on Maryland’s roadways. For more information, visit towardzerodeathsmd.com.
The Maryland Transportation Authority Police, a nationally accredited force, is the seventh-largest law-enforcement agency in the state, with more than 600 sworn and civilian law-enforcement professionals. MDTA Police Officers provide law enforcement at the MDTA’s highways, bridges and tunnels; at the BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport; and at the Port of Baltimore.
####