HomeMy WebLinkAbout13-12-17 Winter Holiday Kick-off 2013 (2)
BAKERSFIELD POLICE
DEPARTMENT
PRESS RELEASE
Greg Williamson, Chief of Police
Contact: Sgt. Brian Silvius
(661) 326-3598
bsilvius@bakersfieldpd.us
For Immediate Release December 17, 2013
Bakersfield Police Cracking Down on Impaired Drivers during
Holidays
Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over
Bakersfield, CA— This holiday season, Bakersfield Police Department will be out in
force cracking down on impaired drivers with special DUI/Drivers License Checkpoints.
A checkpoint is scheduled for December 21, at an undisclosed location within the city
limits between the hours of 6:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. to help keep roads safe for holiday
travelers.
Bakersfield Police Department is giving fair warning to all partygoers. “In addition to
DUI/Drivers License Checkpoints, you will also see us making lots of stops during this
highly visible enforcement period,” said Lieutenant Joe Mullins. “If we suspect anyone
is driving while under the influence, officers will show zero tolerance for drunk or
drugged driving.”
Unfortunately, the excitement and celebrations of the holiday season can lead to terrible
decisions – and serious legal consequences. Data shows that the holiday season is a
particularly deadly time due to the increased number of drunk drivers on the roads, and
the Bakersfield Police Department is prepared to stop and arrest any drunk driver they
see to keep roads safe.
Nationally in the five years from 2007 to 2011 there were 4,169 people killed during the
month of December in crashes that involved drivers with Blood Alcohol Concentrations
(BAC) of .08% or higher. In California during those same five Decembers, 505 were
killed and thousands seriously injured.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 32,367 people were
killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes across the nation in 2011, and 31 percent (9,878)
of those fatalities occurred in drunk-driving-related crashes. Californians witnessed at
total of 2,835 deaths with 774 killed in DUI crashes on their streets and highways.
Drunk drivers often face jail time, the loss of their driver licenses, higher insurance
rates, and dozens of other unanticipated expenses ranging from attorney fees, court
costs, car towing and repairs, to lost wages due to time off from work. Even worse, a
drunk driver can cause a traffic crash that claims someone’s life, or their own.
Please follow these tips to keep the holidays safe and happy:
- Even one drink can impair your judgment and increase the risk of getting arrested for
driving drunk - or worse, the risk of having a crash while driving.
- If you will be drinking, do not plan on driving. Plan ahead; designate a sober driver
before the party begins.
- If you have been drinking, do not drive. Call a taxi, phone a sober friend or family
member, or use public transportation.
- Be responsible. If someone you know is drinking, do not let that person get behind the
wheel.
- If you see an impaired driver on the road, contact law enforcement. Your actions may
save someone’s life, and inaction could cost a life.
Remember, it is never safe to drink and drive: Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.
Funding for this Checkpoint provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic
Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that reminds
everyone: Report Drunk Drivers! Call 9-1-1.
# # #
You can now send an anonymous text message to the Bakersfield Police Department. It’s quick and it’s easy.
Simply enter 274637 into your phone and text BPDCRIMES along with your message. The text is sent to the
police department and the sender remains completely anonymous.
Tips can also be anonymously sent through the smartphone “TipSubmit” mobile App or via email at
https://www.tipsubmit.com.