The Fourth of July is a favorite holiday for many people. Families and friends gather to celebrate with food, parades, parties, and fireworks. For many, the celebration includes alcohol, but the holiday quickly goes from festive to fatal when people choose to drive after drinking. Over the July 4th holiday period in 2012 alone, 78 people were killed in alcohol impaired-driving crashes on our nation’s roads.
The AVOID the 25 anti-DUI task force will be specifically deployed this holiday weekend in a collaborative, multi-agency effort to crack down on drivers under the influence of drugs and or alcohol.
The Concord Police Department will be hosting a DUI/driver’s license checkpoint on July 5, 2014. In addition, numerous law enforcement agencies will be conducting anti-DUI saturation patrols in their cities. The CHP will be deploying all available officers onto freeways and county roads for its Maximum Enforcement Period (MEP).
Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) shows that 10,322 people were killed in drunk-driving crashes in the United States in 2012 – representing a third of all crash fatalities. Data shows that the Fourth of July holiday period is especially deadly. During the July 4th period in 2012 (6 p.m. on July 3 to 5:59 a.m. on July 5), there were 179 people killed in crashes, and 44 percent of those crashes were alcohol-impaired.
Law Enforcement recommends these simple tips to prevent drunk driving:
- Plan a safe way home before the fun begins.
- Before drinking, designate a sober driver.
- If you’re impaired, use a taxi, call a sober friend or family member, or use public transportation.
- If you happen to see a drunk driver on the road, don’t hesitate to call 911.
- If you know someone who is about to drive or ride while impaired, take their keys and help them make other arrangements to get safely to where they are going.
The Avoid the 25 anti-DUI task force funding is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Information provided by the Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff
