PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION
Grand Island, Nebraska ranks fourth in the state in fatalities, injuries, and property damage involving alcohol-related crashes. Per capita, Grand Island leads the state in number of driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol arrests. In 1994, the city experienced 44 alcohol-related personal injury motor vehicle crashes.

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
In 1995, police and city officials in Grand Island initiated a program aimed at reducing fatalities, injuries, and property damage involving alcohol-related crashes by 25 percent. Two objectives were set to help achieve this goal:

• Design a public awareness campaign to focus attention on the city's impaired driving problem
• Increase DUI enforcement activities

STRATEGIES AND ACTIVITIES
Grand Island used a unique strategy to reach the goal. Police department personnel painted a police cruiser in large black and red letters with the words "The Car" on the doors. Advertisements were then placed in a variety of media, alerting the public that The Car was cruising for drunk drivers, and warning motorists not to get caught drinking and driving by The Car. Several activities were employed in support of their strategy:

• A full-time police officer was dedicated to the project
• Motor vehicle crash data were analyzed to determine priority enforcement areas, times, and days of the week
• Crime prevention officers were deployed to supplement the activities of the officer dedicated to The Car. These crime prevention officers provided education on traffic safety at 122 driver education classes, civic clubs, and at other events, using The Car as a crime prevention display and educational tool
• Enforcement was increased, particularly in those areas where analysis indicated that the majority of crashes involving impaired drivers had occurred
• Media promotion included spots about The Car on local television and radio stations. Other media promotion included monthly updates of The Car activities in the local newspaper, spots on billboards, and development of an Internet web site, www.gionline.net/citygov/thecar
  

RESULTS Since implementation of the program in 1995, the officer assigned to The Car has logged 45,282 miles, worked 6,000 hours, written 2,199 citations, 6,356 warning tickets, arrested 395 impaired drivers and made 994 non-DUI arrests Data for 1995 indicated a 34 percent decrease in the number of alcohol-related injury crashes (from 44 in 1994 to 28 in 1995). This figure dropped to 27 in 1996, and estimates based on 8 months data for 1997 indicate a 52 percent reduction in alcohol-related injuries, to 21.

FUNDING   Section 402: 63,807 CONTACT     Fred E. Zwonechek, Administrator Department of Motor Vehicles Office of Highway Safety P.O. Box 94612 Lincoln, NE 68509 (402) 471-2515