‘Use Your Melon’ Impaired Driving Awareness Campaign At The Delaware State Fair

Office of Highway Safety brings Impaired Driving Awareness to the Centennial Celebration of the

Delaware State Fair

Dover, DE (July 22, 2019) – The Delaware Office of Highway Safety has partnered with NASCAR driver Ross Chastain for the fourth year in a row, in the “Use Your Melon, Drive Sober, Arrive Alive DE,” campaign and will be on-site at the Delaware State Fair during its centennial celebration year from Monday, July 22nd from 4:30 PM to 7:30 PM, to Tuesday, July 23rd from 4:30 PM to 7:30 PM. He’ll be engaging with fans to promote the “Use Your Melon,” campaign and be available for autographs and photo opportunities. The No. 4 Chevrolet Camaro Show Car will be on-site at the OHS booth during all 10 days of the Delaware State Fair. The OHS booth includes an interactive display including games, a selfie station, hero cards, and more. 

“As the Office of Highway Safety celebrates its 50th Anniversary, our staff is braving the extreme temperatures to bring the message of impaired driving dangers to Delaware State Fair attendees. Our focus is not only on the reduction of driving while intoxicated with alcohol but on helping Delawareans understand that driving while impaired also means driving under the influence of drugs including prescription or otherwise,” Christopher Klein, Acting Director, Delaware Office of Highway Safety.

The Dover International Speedway is partnering on-site with the OHS at the fair and is giving away ticket vouchers for the Monster Energy Cup Series race on October 6th, and ticket vouchers for the Xfinity Series race on October 5th. The tickets will be distributed throughout the run of the fair through game participation and electronic surveys concerning impaired driving. Also, there is a special VIP grand prize package giveaway that will include tickets to the Sunday race, Meet & Greet with Ross, and a tour of the trailer/garage on Sunday. The Monster Mile is celebrating its 50th Anniversary and will be hosting many special events throughout the weekend including live music, interactive displays, games, free sampling, and surprises.

“Ross and his team originally approached OHS with the melon campaign messaging based on his family’s farming legacy. He’s an 8th-generation farmer and a 4th-generation watermelon farmer. The “Use Your Melon,” campaign’s focus is on impaired driving and its dangers which can include alcohol, recreational drugs, and even prescription medications. In other words, “Use Your Melon,” when getting behind the wheel of a vehicle,” Cynthia Cavett, Marketing Specialist, and Public Information Officer, Delaware Office of Highway Safety.

Be on the lookout for over 1 million watermelons throughout the state of Delaware with the “Use Your Melon,” brand stickers on them, plus Carvertise-activated cars that are driving throughout the state through the end of October with the watermelon branding. The “Use Your Melon,” branded vehicles promote the same melon messaging that Ross is promoting for the Office of Highway Safety to hundreds of thousands of motorists, passengers, and pedestrians all summer long. 

This Highway Safety Collaboration in Motorsports in Delaware includes the Delaware Office of Highway Safety, Ross Chastain Racing, Dover International Speedway, JD Motorsports with Gary KellerMelon 1, and Carvertise.

Frequently asked questions on the consequences of life after a DUI can be found at http://www.arrivealivede.com/Drive-Sober/FAQs.  For more information on Delaware DUI fatalities and arrests, visit http://www.arrivealivede.com/DriveSober.

You can follow the Delaware Office of Highway Safety by clicking on:

Delaware Office of Highway Safety Web Site

Facebook

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Instagram

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Picture of the Delaware Office of Highway Safety Logo

Picture of Drive Sober, Arrive Alive DE

 

About the Delaware Office of Highway Safety
The Office of Highway Safety (OHS) is committed to improving the safety of Delaware’s motoring public by focusing on behavioral traffic safety issues such as impaired driving, seat belt use, speeding, child passenger safety, pedestrian and bicycle safety, motorcycle safety, and teen driving issues.

FAQs can be found at ArriveAliveDE.com.


Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over

Campaign Launches Before July 4th Holiday

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contacts:

Cynthia Cavett, Marketing Specialist & Public Information Officer

Delaware Office of Highway Safety

Cynthia.Cavett@delaware.gov

302-744-2743

DOVER, De. (July 1, 2019) – The Delaware Office of Highway Safety (OHS) is partnering with the Delaware State Police and local law enforcement statewide for the national summer holiday campaign for Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over from July 4 – July 7, 2019, to put an end to drunk driving. In support of law enforcement’s dedication to protecting the lives of residents in their communities, you’ll see increased enforcement on the roads with zero tolerance for those who drive impaired.

“We want to be very clear about the consequences of driving while intoxicated,” said Christopher Klein, Acting Director Delaware Office of Highway Safety. “Intoxicated driving is illegal and potentially deadly, and a risk we don’t want to see people take. Make no mistake: If you are caught driving while intoxicated, you will be arrested.”

During the 2014 to 2018 Fourth of July holiday period in Delaware, there were 53 DUI-related crashes. Five people were killed in those crashes which involved at l

east one driver or motorcycle operator with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher. That’s five families who will forever remember Independence Day with a heavy heart and nightmarish memories.

Celebrate with a Plan

This Fourth of July, drivers are urged to designate a sober driver before heading out for the evening. If you plan on drinking, plan on not driving.

Remember these tips for a safe night on the roads:

  • Remember that it is never okay to drink and drive. Even if you’ve had only one alcoholic beverage, designate a sober driver or plan to use public transportation or a ride service to get home safely.
  • Download NHTSA’s SaferRide mobile app, available on Google Play for Android devices and Apple’s iTunes Store for iOS devices.
    • SaferRide allows users to call a taxi or a predetermined friend and identifies the user’s location so he or she can be picked up.
  • If you’re at the Delaware beaches over the holiday weekend, use SoberLift to get a safe ride home. In partnership with Lyft®, the Delaware Office of Highway Safety is offering the sober ride program which will begin on Wednesday, July 3, at 4 p.m. and run through Sunday, July 7, at 2 a.m., and will provide free SoberLift vouchers* (maximum value of $15) for individuals who want a safe ride during that time period.
    • Text “SoberLift” to 99000 to redeem the discount code which will be available in the beach towns of Lewes, Rehoboth Beach, South Bethany Beach, and Fenwick Island.
    • *The number of daily codes, available between 4 p.m. and 2 a.m., will be limited.
  • If you see a drunk driver on the road, contact local law enforcement.
  • Have a friend who is about to drink and drive? Take the keys away and make arrangements to get your friend home safely.

You can follow the Delaware Office of Highway Safety by clicking on:

Delaware Office of Highway Safety Web Site

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

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About the Delaware Office of Highway Safety
The Office of Highway Safety (OHS) is committed to improving the safety of Delaware’s motoring public by focusing on behavioral traffic safety issues such as impaired driving, seat belt use, speeding, child passenger safety, pedestrian and bicycle safety, motorcycle safety, and teen driving issues. FAQs can be found at ArriveAliveDE.com.


CheckPoint StrikeForce Swearing-In Ceremony

Statewide Enforcement Checkpoints Aim to Reduce DUI-Related Crashes & Fatalities 

(Dover, DE) – On Thursday, June 13th, Attorney General Kathy Jennings swore in 53 officers representing jurisdictions from New Castle, Kent, and Sussex Counties to serve as part of the Checkpoint StrikeForce (CPSF) and other checkpoints that will take place throughout the state this year. Impaired driving is an on-going threat that claims dozens of lives on Delaware’s roadways every year. In 2019 alone, there have been more than half a dozen fatalities attributed to impaired-driving and more than 1,860 DUI arrests.

“Driving drunk or buzzed is reckless, needless, and illegal, but more than 4,000 DUI arrests last year alone show that we must stay vigilant about protecting our roads from those who get behind the wheel of a car when they shouldn’t,” says Kathy Jennings, Attorney General for the State of Delaware. “I’m grateful to the officers within CheckPoint StrikeForce for keeping all of us safe and for sending a strong message that Delaware is serious about stopping drunk driving and preventing crashes.”

The 2019 CPSF initiative consists of five DUI checkpoints across the State occurring on multiple occasions throughout the year, in addition to checkpoints conducted by local municipalities and saturation patrols.

“I was thoroughly impressed by the multi-agency response and the 50+ officers that were sworn in today to join the CheckPoint StrikeForce campaign,” says Christopher Klein, Acting Director of the Office of Highway Safety (OHS). “This Highway Safety initiative is one of the tools utilized to bring meaningful reductions to impairment-related crashes, and is only successful as a result of all of the dedicated law enforcement officers that have taken the oath to enforce Delaware’s DUI laws.”

The Office of Highway Safety is providing overtime funds to law enforcement this summer and throughout the year to enforce the State’s DUI laws. In addition, OHS is running statewide marketing and education campaigns to encourage drivers to Arrive Alive. OHS’s newest impairment campaign, Don’t Blow It, focuses on the consequences of drivers being alcohol-impaired when their blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) are .08 g/dl or higher. A DUI can cost hundreds, if not thousands of dollars. It can also lead to an arrest, or worse, to death.

Cynthia Cavett, Marketing Specialist II and Public Information Officer for OHS, recommends the following tips for Delaware drivers to Arrive Alive:

  • It is never okay to drink and drive. Even if you’ve only had one alcoholic beverage, designate a sober driver or plan a sober ride home. Take Uber, Lyft, or a cab. For an up-to-date list of rideshare options near you, go to http://www.arrivealivede.com/Drive-Sober/Safe-Rides#wilmington.
  • Use public transportation to get home safely. For current bus schedules and locations, visit https://dartfirststate.com/.
  • Download NHTSA’s SaferRide mobile app at www.nhtsa.gov/link/saferride/. SaferRide allows users to call a taxi or a predetermined friend and identifies the user’s location so he or she can be picked up.
  • Make the commitment to only driving when you’re 100-percent sober.

“There is absolutely no reason, whatsoever, why anyone should drive home impaired,” says Cavett. “With the abundance of ride-share and public transportation availability across the state, there are more options now than ever before for ensuring a safe and sober ride home.”

Frequently asked questions on the consequences of life after a DUI can be found at http://www.arrivealivede.com/Drive-Sober/FAQs.  For more information on Delaware DUI fatalities and arrests, visit http://www.arrivealivede.com/DriveSober.

You can follow the Delaware Office of Highway Safety by clicking on:
Delaware Office of Highway Safety Web Site
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram

About the Delaware Office of Highway Safety
The Office of Highway Safety (OHS) is committed to improving the safety of Delaware’s motoring public by focusing on behavioral traffic safety issues such as impaired driving, seat belt use, speeding, child passenger safety, pedestrian and bicycle safety, motorcycle safety, and teen driving issues. FAQs can be found at ArriveAliveDE.com.

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