Trick-or-Treat? Drink-or-Drive - Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving
The Calaveras County Avoid DUI Coalition is deploying additional officers Halloween night
Angels
Camp, Ca— Halloween is quickly approaching, which for many people means
celebrating with alcohol. As you carve your pumpkin or pick out a
costume this year, keep in mind that one of the best choices you can
make is to drive sober or designate a sober driver to get you home
safely. The Avoid the 2 DUI Task Force is reminding all drivers that Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving because every Halloween there are still some people who think they can drive after drinking.
“We want people to remember: like ‘Trick-or-Treat;’ ‘Drink-or-Drive.’ One or the other, but never both,” said Chief Todd Fordahl, Angels Camp PD. Before you take your first sip of alcohol on October 31,
figure out who your designated sober driver will be. If you wait until
you’re ‘buzzed’ to make a decision, you may decide to drive. Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving, which
means that driving “buzzed” brings very serious consequences. In 2012
alone, there were 10,322 people killed in drunk–driving crashes. Those
were preventable deaths that happened when drunk drivers failed to plan
ahead.
The
DUI Task Force is deploying extra DUI Officers Halloween night to
supplement routine patrol officers on one of the most deadly nights of
the years. Officers will be looking for the tale-tell sign of alcohol
and or drug impairment during each enforcement contact, all weekend long
as many will be attending parties where alcohol is served.
According
to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Halloween is a
statistically dangerous night for drunk driving. In 2012, almost half of
all crash fatalities that night involved a drunk driver.
The avoid the 2, Calaveras/Tuolumne County DUI Task Force recommends these simple tips for a safe Halloween:
· Before the Halloween festivities begin, plan a way to safely get home at the end of the night.
· Always designate a sober driver.
· If you are drunk, take a taxi, call a sober friend or family member, or use public transportation.
· Walking impaired can be just as dangerous as drunk driving. Designate a sober friend to walk you home.
· If you see a drunk driver on the road, call 911.
· If
you know someone who is about to drive or ride impaired, take their
keys and help them make safe travel arrangements to where they are
going.
Funding
for this operation is provided by a grant from the California Office of
Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration.
