AVOID
DUI JULY4TH
The California Highway Patrol reminds motorists
to designate a driver before the
celebration begins!
The
California Highway Patrol (CHP) is encouraging celebrants to plan a safe way
home and designate a non-drinking driver before the festivities begin this 4th
of July.
Last
year, on July 4,
2013, the CHP made hundreds of arrests statewide for DUI according the CHP’s
Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS). Additionally, provisional figures from SWITRS
for that day indicate that several people were killed in California in alcohol
involved collisions.
To
prevent additional loss of life and ensure everyone enjoys a safe, festive
holiday, the CHP joins with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
by recommending the following simple steps:
-
Make arrangements for a
safe trip home before the festivities begin.
-
Before drinking, please
designate a non-drinking driver and leave your car keys at home.
-
If you are impaired, use
a taxi, call a sober friend or family member, or use public transportation so
you are sure to get home safely.
-
If available, use your
community’s sober ride program.
-
If you suspect an
impaired driver is on the road, report that driver by calling 9-1-1. Callers should be prepared to give a
description of the vehicle, license plate number, location, and the vehicle’s
direction of travel.
-
And remember, if you
know people who are about to drive or ride with someone who is impaired, help
them make other arrangements to get to where they are going safely. If, a friend is drunk and wants to drive,
encourage them not to, even if it means taking their keys away.
“Luck is not going to prevent drunk
driving collisions from happening.
Drivers making responsible decisions can prevent a needless tragedy.”
said Commissioner Joe Farrow. “At the
end of the day, a little bit of prevention can be the difference in saving a
life.”