MONTGOMERY— Gov. Robert Bentley has awarded a $500,000 grant for a multimedia campaign to inform motorists about the “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” highway safety effort in Alabama Aug. 17 – Sept. 3.

The Alabama Department of Commerce is using the funds to create and place ads about the dangers of drunken driving. The campaign features TV spots filmed by the Auburn University Media Production Group and additional advertising in newspapers and on radio stations, Alabama-based websites and billboards..

“Getting behind the wheel after even a small amount of alcohol raises the risk of serious harm to passengers and other motorists to an unacceptable level,” Bentley said. “This media campaign will reinforce the excellent work our law enforcement officers are doing to make it clear that drunken driving is not tolerated on Alabama’s roadways.”

During “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over,” local law enforcement officers and Alabama State Troopers will boost enforcement of DUI laws by conducting safety checkpoints and increasing the number of patrols on Alabama roads.

Part of the media campaign will focus on people who think that a small amount of alcohol will not impair their ability to operate a vehicle safely. People who sense even the slightest effects of alcohol are likely to exceed the legal level of alcohol in the blood, according to the Alabama Department of Public Safety.

The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs is administering the grant from the State Traffic Safety Trust Fund, an account that receives fines paid by individuals found guilty of driving without a license or with a suspended or revoked license.