The Ada Police Department announced today that it is joining close to 10,000 other law enforcement agencies nationwide in support of an intensive crackdown on impaired driving.

The "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" campaign begins August 15 and runs through Labor Day on September 1.

Ada Police will be joined in their efforts by the Pontotoc County Sheriff's Department, the Chickasaw Nation Lighthorse Police, and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.

"Our message is simple and unwavering," said APD Captain Jason Potter. "If we catch you driving impaired, we will arrest you. No exceptions. Even if you beat the odds and manage to walk away from an impaired-driving crash, the trauma and financial costs of a crash or an arrest for driving while impaired can still destroy your life."

Across the country, it is illegal to drive with a blood alcohol concentration of .08 grams per deciliter or higher. According to the latest data, nearly a third of fatalities in motor vehicle traffic crashes involved a driver or motorcycle rider with a BAC above the legal limit an average of one fatality every 48 minutes.

More than 10,000 people are killed in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes every year in the United States.

Potter said that law enforcement officers will aggressively search for impaired drivers during the campaign and will arrest anyone found driving while impaired regardless of age, vehicle type, or time of day.

"Since twice as many alcohol-impaired accidents occur over the weekend and four times as many occur at night, we will be especially vigilant during these high-risk times when impaired drivers are most likely to be on our roads," Potter said.

For more information on the campaign, please visit www.stopimpaireddriving.com.