Over the limit – under arrest

Sgt. Chuck Mulligan reported to Historic City News that the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office is joining with thousands of other law enforcement agencies across the nation through the Labor Day holiday to take part in the “Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest.” crackdown on impaired driving.

Drunk driving is one of America’s deadliest crimes. In 2007, nearly 13,000 people died in highway crashes involving a driver or motorcycle operator with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher.

“Make no mistake. Our message is simple and to the point. No matter what you drive—a passenger car, pickup, sport utility vehicle, or motorcycle—if we catch you driving impaired, we will arrest you. No exceptions. No excuses,” said Sheriff David Shoar.

The Sheriff’s Office will be out in force conducting saturation patrols and using undercover officers to get more drunk drivers off the road, and save lives that might otherwise be lost.

Sheriff Shoar added, “Driving with a BAC of .08 or higher is illegal in every state of the Union, yet we continue to see far too many people suffer debilitating injuries and loss of their loved ones as a result of impaired driving. This careless disregard for human life must stop. To help ensure that happens, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office is dedicated to arresting impaired drivers wherever and whenever we find them.”

The national “Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest.” impaired driving crackdown is a prevention program organized by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that focuses on combining high-visibility enforcement with heightened public awareness through advertising and publicity.

The Sheriff’s Office will also join forces with many other Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia Law Enforcement agencies to recognize the 18th anniversary of the “Hands Across the Border” initiative, which encourages motorists not to drink and drive and to obey all traffic safety laws. The ceremony will be held at the I-95/Yulee Welcome Center at 11:30 a.m. on Friday, September 4th.