CHARLOTTE COUNTY, Fla. - Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Cameron announces the agency is launching an intensive crackdown on impaired drivers today (Aug. 20) through Labor Day, Sep. 6.

Sheriff Cameron said, “The problem of impaired driving is a serious one and that is why the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office is joining with 10,000 other law enforcement agencies throughout the nation in support of an intensive crackdown on impaired driving.”

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2008, nearly 12,000 people died in crashes in which a driver or motorcycle rider was at or above the legal limit. The age group with the highest percentage of alcohol impaired drivers in fatal crashes is young people ages 21-24.