Police departments across the state are embarking on a public awareness campaign to reduce drunken driving: roadside banners warning motorists they are in areas known for "saturation patrols."

"When motorists see the 'Drunk Driving Enforcement Zone' banners, they can be sure police are in that area looking for drunk drivers," Maryland State Police said in a statement. "Police will continue to employ various enforcement techniques, all with the ultimate goal of removing drunk drivers from Maryland highways before they cause a traffic crash."

Authorities said that in 2006, the last year for which numbers are available, 268 people were killed in Maryland in crashes linked to drivers impaired by drugs or alcohol.

Police said that officers in Maryland typically arrest about 25,000 drunken drivers each year, and that crashes involving impaired drivers make up more than 40 percent of the state's fatal accidents.

Authorities said the campaign is being launched because law enforcement departments "no longer want to be inconspicuous. ... The campaign's objective is to keep innocent motorists from being hurt or even killed by someone who made an irresponsible and selfish decision to drink and then drive."