Delaware News

Highway Safety Officials Remind Everyone To Have A Safe Family Holiday

Department of Safety and Homeland Security | News | Office of Highway Safety | Date Posted: Thursday, December 20, 2012



3 killed & 54 injured in alcohol related crashes

Dover – This holiday season, whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, or another holiday, highway safety officials remind everyone to give the gift of safe driving and keep each other safe on the roads this holiday season by designating a sober driver, limiting distractions in the car, and allowing plenty of time to get to your destination to alleviate aggressive driving behaviors.

According to police reports, there have been a total of 70 alcohol related crashes since Thanksgiving  of this year that have resulted in fifty-four (54) persons injured and three (3) killed.  Subsequently, 54 green light bulbs and 3 red light bulbs will be placed on the DUI Victims Tree which can be found online at www.DUIRealTime.com/Safe-Holiday.   Last year the holiday season ended with 2 red bulbs and 24 green bulbs.

DUI saturation patrols and checkpoints will continue throughout the entire holiday season and will supplement already scheduled Checkpoint Strikeforce DUI Checkpoints.  Last weekend 8 people were arrested for DUI as part of Checkpoint Strikeforce.  This brings the total campaign DUI arrests to 318, however there have been 4,702 DUI arrest made in Delaware since January 1st.

There are two checkpoint scheduled to occur this weekend as follows:

Friday December 21st                        Bear (New Castle County DUI Task Force)- checkpoint

Saturday December 22nd Georgetown (multijurisdictional effort)- checkpoint

Preventing drinking and driving is a shared responsibility to save lives; everyone can do their part by with a few simple tips:

  • Always plan ahead to designate a non-drinking driver before any party or celebration begins.
  • Never get behind the wheel of a car when you’ve been drinking alcohol and never ride with someone who has been drinking – even after just one drink.
  • Do not hesitate to take the keys from friends or family members who may be impaired or call a taxi for a friend in need.
  • Be a responsible host by reminding guests to stay safe and always offer alcohol-free beverages and protein rich snacks.
  • If you encounter an impaired driver on the road, keep a safe distance and ask a passenger to call 911 (or pull over to a safe location to make the call yourself).
  • Remember: prescriptions, over-the-counter medications and illegal drugs also can impair your ability to drive safely.
  • Always buckle up, avoid distractions, and practice patience behind the wheel this holiday season.

OHS provides suggestions and recipes for non-alcoholic drinks and smart party snacks online at http://www.ohs.delaware.gov/pdfs/2009/safe_family_holiday/OHS_Mocktail_Recipe_Book_v2.pdf

For more information on these or any of our other campaign efforts follow us on Twitter @DEHighwaySafe, visit our website for updates at www.ohs.delaware.gov, www.DUIRealTime.com/Safe-Holidays or Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ArriveAliveDE.

 

 

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Highway Safety Officials Remind Everyone To Have A Safe Family Holiday

Department of Safety and Homeland Security | News | Office of Highway Safety | Date Posted: Thursday, December 20, 2012



3 killed & 54 injured in alcohol related crashes

Dover – This holiday season, whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, or another holiday, highway safety officials remind everyone to give the gift of safe driving and keep each other safe on the roads this holiday season by designating a sober driver, limiting distractions in the car, and allowing plenty of time to get to your destination to alleviate aggressive driving behaviors.

According to police reports, there have been a total of 70 alcohol related crashes since Thanksgiving  of this year that have resulted in fifty-four (54) persons injured and three (3) killed.  Subsequently, 54 green light bulbs and 3 red light bulbs will be placed on the DUI Victims Tree which can be found online at www.DUIRealTime.com/Safe-Holiday.   Last year the holiday season ended with 2 red bulbs and 24 green bulbs.

DUI saturation patrols and checkpoints will continue throughout the entire holiday season and will supplement already scheduled Checkpoint Strikeforce DUI Checkpoints.  Last weekend 8 people were arrested for DUI as part of Checkpoint Strikeforce.  This brings the total campaign DUI arrests to 318, however there have been 4,702 DUI arrest made in Delaware since January 1st.

There are two checkpoint scheduled to occur this weekend as follows:

Friday December 21st                        Bear (New Castle County DUI Task Force)- checkpoint

Saturday December 22nd Georgetown (multijurisdictional effort)- checkpoint

Preventing drinking and driving is a shared responsibility to save lives; everyone can do their part by with a few simple tips:

  • Always plan ahead to designate a non-drinking driver before any party or celebration begins.
  • Never get behind the wheel of a car when you’ve been drinking alcohol and never ride with someone who has been drinking – even after just one drink.
  • Do not hesitate to take the keys from friends or family members who may be impaired or call a taxi for a friend in need.
  • Be a responsible host by reminding guests to stay safe and always offer alcohol-free beverages and protein rich snacks.
  • If you encounter an impaired driver on the road, keep a safe distance and ask a passenger to call 911 (or pull over to a safe location to make the call yourself).
  • Remember: prescriptions, over-the-counter medications and illegal drugs also can impair your ability to drive safely.
  • Always buckle up, avoid distractions, and practice patience behind the wheel this holiday season.

OHS provides suggestions and recipes for non-alcoholic drinks and smart party snacks online at http://www.ohs.delaware.gov/pdfs/2009/safe_family_holiday/OHS_Mocktail_Recipe_Book_v2.pdf

For more information on these or any of our other campaign efforts follow us on Twitter @DEHighwaySafe, visit our website for updates at www.ohs.delaware.gov, www.DUIRealTime.com/Safe-Holidays or Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ArriveAliveDE.

 

 

image_printPrint

Related Topics:  , , , , , , ,


Graphic that represents delaware news on a mobile phone

Keep up to date by receiving a daily digest email, around noon, of current news release posts from state agencies on news.delaware.gov.

Here you can subscribe to future news updates.