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DUII taskforce to deploy
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Tossing your keys to a sober driver should be a pass made all year, not just Super Bowl weekend. State, county and local police agencies will put extra patrols on area roads to defend against those dangerous and impaired drivers who aren't playing by the rules. Last year, OSP troopers arrested 50 DUII drivers over the weekend, twenty-one of which happened Sunday after 12 noon. Two years ago, troopers arrested 23 DUII drivers over Super Bowl weekend, of which thirteen happened after 12 noon. Annually, Oregon police officers arrest an average of 25,000 DUII drivers.
"The message is simple and to the point. Driving under the influence is a crime and just not acceptable. No matter what you drive — a passenger car, pickup, sport utility vehicle or motorcycle — if you get caught driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, you will be arrested," said Chuck Hayes, chair of the Governor's Advisory Committee on DUII and retired director of the Oregon State Police Patrol Services Division.
Irresponsible decisions can also have a bigger financial impact following an Oregon law change that went into effect January 1, 2010. Courts can now impose a minimum fine of $2,000 on those persons convicted of DUII with a blood alcohol content of .15 percent or more.
According to research by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2008, fatalities in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes accounted for 32 percent of all motor vehicle traffic fatalities. On Super Bowl Sunday, 49 percent of the fatalities occurred in crashes where a driver or motorcycle rider had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level of .08 or higher.
Oregon State Police, Oregon State Sheriff's Association, Oregon Association of Chiefs of Police, ODOT and Mother's Against Drunk Driving stress that designating a sober driver should be on the top of everyone's Super Bowl party list. Join their team and report possible intoxicated drivers to 9-1-1 or Oregon State Police dispatch at 1-800-24DRUNK (800-243-7856).
If you are hosting a Super Bowl party:
* Remember, you can be held liable and prosecuted if someone you served ends up in an impaired driving crash.
* Make sure all of your guests designate their sober drivers in advance, or help arrange ride-sharing with other sober drivers.
* Serve lots of food and include lots of non-alcoholic beverages at the party.
* Stop serving alcohol at the end of the third quarter of the game and begin serving coffee and dessert.
* Keep the numbers for local cab companies handy, and take the keys away from anyone who is thinking of driving while impaired.
If you are attending a Super Bowl party or watching at a sports bar or restaurant:
* Designate your sober driver before the party begins and give that person your car keys.
* Avoid drinking too much alcohol too fast. Pace yourself—eat enough food, take breaks and alternate with non-alcoholic drinks.
* If you don't have a designated driver, ask a sober friend for a ride home; call a cab, friend or family member to come and get you; or just stay where you are and sleep it off until you are sober.
* Use your community's Sober Rides programs;
* Never let a friend leave your sight if you think they are about to drive while impaired. Remember, Fans Don't Let Fans Drive Drunk.
* Always buckle up – it's still your best defense against other impaired drivers.
For updated information on highway work and current travel information throughout Oregon, visit www.tripcheck.com, or call the Oregon road report at 5-1-1 or (800) 977-6368.
