Law Enforcement Cracking Down On Drunk Driving In Riverside County
RIVERSIDE – Law enforcement agencies throughout Riverside County will be teaming up today to crack down on motorists who may have had too much to drink at Super Bowl parties.
The “Avoid the 30” campaign — named for the 30 local and state law enforcement agencies that operate in the county — is planning saturation patrols to snare impaired drivers before, during and after the NFL championship game, according to Karen Haverkamp, Riverside police traffic bureau supervisor.
“We want to pass our safety message to everyone who will be drinking this weekend: Real Fans Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk,” said Haverkamp, the campaign coordinator. “Please act responsibly, designate a sober driver before the Super Bowl party begins and leave your car keys at home.”
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration statistics show that in roughly half of the crash fatalities recorded on Super Bowl Sunday 2008, the motorists at fault had blood-alcohol levels of 0.08 percent or higher, the legal standard for drunkeness.
During Super Bowl Sunday 2009, 11 people died and 133 were injured in alcohol-related crashes in California.
“Designating a sober driver should be on top of everyone’s Super Bowl party list,” said Riverside police Chief Russ Leach. “It’s just one of several easy steps to help save lives.”
Haverkamp reminded residents hosting Super Bowl parties that they could be held liable if a partygoer leaves drunk and causes an accident.
She offered the following tips:
— ensure guests have a designated driver or can arrange for ride-sharing;
— serve plenty of food and non-alcoholic beverages at the party;
— stop serving alcohol before the end of the game’s third quarter; and
— take the keys away from guests showing obvious signs of drunkenness, calling them a cab if necessary.
Anti-DUI operations are planned in Beaumont, Blythe, Canyon Lake, Coachella, La Quinta, Menifee, Moreno Valley, Murrieta, Palm Springs, Perris, Riverside, San Jacinto and Temecula, according to Haverkamp.
