The
end of summer is traditionally marked by the Labor Day holiday, a time for our
country to reflect on the hard work of our fellow Americans. The long weekend
is celebrated through picnics, pool parties, and barbecues, as families and
friends enjoy the last few days of summer before fall and winter approach.
Sadly, the Labor Day holiday is also one of the deadliest, with alcohol- and
drug-impaired drivers endangering themselves and others on America’s roadways.
This
year, Fountain Valley Police Department is partnering with police, Sheriff’s
and the CHP across the state to stop impaired drivers and help save lives. The
high-visibility national enforcement campaign, Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over, runs from August 18 through
September 4, 2017.
The
FVPD Traffic Bureau will conduct a DUI/Driver’s License Checkpoint on Saturday,
August 19, 2017, between the hours of 9:00 p.m. and 3:00 a.m. in areas with
high frequencies of DUI collisions and/or arrests. These extra Officers on the
road, along with routine patrols, are aimed to drastically reduce impaired
driving in our community’s roadways.
Statistics
nationwide show a dangerous trend in impaired driving. According to the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 10,265 people were
killed in drunk-driving crashes in 2015, a three percent rise in deaths over
2014. That’s roughly one person killed every 51 minutes in 2015. That’s the
equivalent of 20 jumbo jets crashing each year with no survivors. This is why
the Fountain Valley Police Department is working to remind drivers that
impaired driving is not only illegal, it is a matter of life and death.
Officers
will be looking for signs of alcohol and/or drug impairment. When possible,
specially trained Officers will be available to evaluate those suspected of
drug-impaired driving, which now accounts for a growing number of impaired
driving crashes.
In
recent years, California has seen an increase in drug-impaired driving crashes.
The Fountain Valley Police Department supports the new effort from the Office
of Traffic Safety that aims to educate all drivers that “DUI Doesn’t Just Mean
Booze.” If you take prescription drugs, particularly those with a driving or
operating machinery warning on the label, you might be impaired enough to get a
DUI. Marijuana use can also be
impairing, especially in combination with alcohol or other drugs, and can
result in a DUI.
Plan
your sober ride home before the party begins as end of summer activities wrap
up. It is never okay to drive impaired. Even if you’ve had one alcoholic
beverage, designate a sober driver or plan to use public transportation to get
home safely.
Drivers
are encouraged to download the Designated Driver VIP, or “DDVIP,” free mobile
app for Android or iPhone. The DDVIP app helps find nearby bars and restaurants
that feature free incentives for the designated sober driver, from free
non-alcoholic drinks to free appetizers and more.
Have
family or a friend who is about to drive buzzed or impaired? Take the keys away
and make arrangements to get your friend home safely. The cost of a ride home
is cheap. Drivers caught driving impaired can expect the impact of a DUI arrest
to include jail time, fines, fees, DUI classes, license suspensions and other
expenses that can exceed $10,000.
Funding
for this DUI operation is provided to the Fountain Valley Police Department by
a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration, reminding everyone to “Report Drunk
Driver – Call 9-1-1”.