The Coon Valley, Stoddard and Westby Police Departments are joining in a nationwide crackdown to combat drunken driving.

Wisconsin has the highest rate of drunken driving in the nation. More than 26 percent of Wisconsin adults who were surveyed admitted that they had driven under the influence of alcohol in the previous year, according to a nationwide study by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released in April.

Because drunken drivers are prevalent and deadly threats not just to themselves but also to everyone else on the road, our agencies will be patrolling in greater numbers and for longer hours to arrest impaired motorists as part of a nationwide law enforcement crackdown from Aug. 15 through Sept. 1. The “Drunk Driving—Over the Limit Under Arrest” crackdown will combine high-visibility law enforcement with a federally-funded media campaign to deter impaired driving.

Driving while impaired is not a victimless crime. Last year, alcohol-related crashed in Wisconsin killed 337 people and injured 5,552. A person is killed or injured in alcohol-related crash in Wisconsin approximately every one and one-half hours, according to the Wisconsin State Patrol Bureau of Transportation safety.

“More than 42,000 drivers, which is about the same number of people as the population of Fond du Lac, were convicted of drunken driving offenses in Wisconsin last year,” said OIC Jay Englehart, along with Westby Police Chief Mitch Hundt and Stoddard Police Chief Jim McClain. “When we stop a drunken driver, we don’t have warnings or accept excuses. t doesn’t matter if you’re driving a pick-up, a mini-van or a motorcycle. And it doesn’t matter if you’re within a block of your house. If you’re over the limit, you’ll be arrested. Impaired driving will cost you your license and an enormous amount of money for fines, court costs, increased insurance premiums and other expenses. If you refuse a blood or breath alcohol test you can lose your license on the the spot and have your vehicle impounded. Repeat offenders face jail time, and if you hurt or kill someone in a crash you will face extremely serious charges, like vehicular manslaughter. The decision to drive while impaired will likely be one you’ll regret the rest of your life.”

Instead of risking an arrest for impaired driving, we offer the following suggestions:

n Choose a sober designated river before you start to drink.

n If you’re feeling buzzed, you probably are over the 0.09 (alcohol concentration_ limit and should not drive.

n Rather then drive while impaired, take mass transit, a taxicab or ask a sober friend to drive you home

n Some taverns and restaurants have programs to provide patrons with a safe ride home. Visit www.tlw.org for more information.