NEWS RELEASE
CONTACT: Ashley Ellis or Susan Raber, (614) 466-4344 IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
November 25, 2003
Ohio Public Safety Joins MADD to Tie One On This Holiday Season
COLUMBUS (November 25, 2003) – The Ohio Department of Public Safety today announced it will participate in the MADD Project Red Ribbon "Tie One on for Safety" campaign again this year. Ohio State Highway Patrol cars will display red ribbons throughout December to express the agency's zero tolerance toward impaired driving. Mothers Against Drunk Drivers started the annual campaign in 1986 to heighten public awareness of drinking and driving during the holidays. Tying the ribbon on a vehicle is a pledge to drive sober throughout the holidays, and it reminds other motorists of the fight against impaired driving. “Impaired driving is a serious crime that results in hundreds of deaths on Ohio’s roadways each year. Every time you get behind the wheel this holiday weekend, you have a responsibility to keep yourself safe, your passengers safe, and act in ways to keep other motorists safe,” said Ohio Department of Public Safety Director Kenneth L. Morckel. According to Ohio Public Safety statistics, 379 people were killed in alcohol-related crashes in 2002, and more than 11,400 were injured. Last Thanksgiving holiday weekend, the Ohio State Highway Patrol reported 19 fatalities. Four were attributed to alcohol. Eleven of those killed were not buckled up. “By making safety-conscious decisions, Ohio motorists can do their part, along with Ohio law enforcement officers, in keeping our roads safe this Thanksgiving. From Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers, to county sheriff's deputies, to local police officers, thousands of law enforcement officers will be increasing enforcement in an effort to save lives and reduce injuries this holiday weekend,” Morckel continued. This effort will be instrumental in helping to reduce the state's fatality rate from 1.3 to 1.0 deaths per one hundred million vehicle miles traveled by 2008. The national goal, set by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, will save more than 350 lives annually in Ohio. 03-##
BOB TAFT, GOVERNOR KENNETH L. MORCKEL, DIRECTOR