Officers from the Arcadia Police Department’s Traffic Bureau
will be deploying this weekend to stop and arrest alcohol and drug-impaired
drivers in the Department’s ongoing traffic safety campaign. DUI Saturation Patrols will deploy on Friday,
July 29th between the hours of 6:00 PM and 2:00 AM in areas with high frequencies
of DUI collisions and/or arrests.
In California, this deadly crime led to 867 deaths and over
23,000 serious injuries in 2013 because someone failed to designate a sober
driver. Nationally, the latest data
shows over 10,000 were killed by an impaired driver.
Officers will be looking for signs of alcohol and/or drug
impairment with officers checking drivers for proper licensing delaying
motorists only momentarily. 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.
Recent statistics reveal that 30 percent of drivers in fatal
crashes had one or more drugs in their systems.
A study of active drivers showed more tested positive for drugs that may
impair driving (14 percent) than did for alcohol (7.3 percent). Of the drugs, marijuana was most prevalent,
at 7.4 percent, slightly more than alcohol. Everyone should be mindful that if
you’re taking medication – whether prescription or over-the-counter – drinking
even small amounts of alcohol can greatly intensify the impairment affects.
Law
Enforcement emphasizes the preventable nature of drunk driving reminding
everyone that all it takes is a little planning ahead. Designate a sober driver
or call a cab. But whatever you do, don’t drink and drive. The
California Office of Traffic Safety DDVIP (Designated Driver VIP) mobile app is
now available for free download on iOS and Android devices. Launched last year,
the new DDVIP app offers enhanced features, allowing users to “Map a Spot” with
their current location to find DDVIP partnering establishments in their area or
a “List of Spots” to search all participating bars and restaurants throughout
California. Users will be offered free incentives at each bar to celebrate
their life saving role. They can stay
up-to-date with the latest from DDVIP and see what other users are saying via
its social tab. Also through the app, for those who want to imbibe but also
make it a point to plan ahead, users can easily order a sober ride from Uber,
Lyft or Curb – all from one screen.
The cost of a ride home is cheap, nothing compared to a
$10,000 DUI conviction and the ‘inconvenience’ of not driving your own car home
is nothing compared to the inconvenience of spending time behind bars.
Funding for this DUI operation is
provided to the Arcadia 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’.
Robert Guthrie
Chief of Police
Kollin
Cieadlo
Traffic
Sergeant
626-574-5475
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