Whittier Police Department Partners in Special Holiday DUI Crackdown

***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE***

Date: December 17, 2009
Contact: Traffic Sergeant Dan Lowe
Subject: Sobriety (DUI) Checkpoint
When: Friday, December 18, 2009
Location: Florence Ave. and Shoemaker Ave.

Whittier, CA. – Whittier Police Department Partners in Special Holiday DUI Crackdown

Whittier PD Joins Efforts to Deploy One of 300 Sobriety Checkpoints over the Holidays

Whittier, CA — The holiday season is upon us; plans are in place for parties, shopping and traveling to friends and family. However, each year motorists will be in harm’s way thanks to the careless ones who will drink and drive this season.

Beginning Friday, Whittier Police Department will join law enforcement across the state as part of California’s 18 Day Holiday DUI Crackdown Campaign with law enforcement agencies deploying 300 DUI/Drivers License Checkpoints statewide. Funding for the special enforcement campaign, December 18, 2009 through January 3, 2010 comes from a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

That is why the Whittier Police Department announced today they will be conducting their checkpoint on Friday, December 18, 2009 in the area of Florence Ave. and Shoemaker Ave. in the Santa Fe Springs. The time of the checkpoint will be 7:00 PM to 3:00 AM.

“The safety of residents and motorists is our outmost concern. Every time we identify and remove a drunk driver from the roadway, we reduce the chances of DUI traffic collisions, which have the potential for catastrophic outcomes” said Captain Aviv Bar.

In 2008, 11,773 people died in highway crashes involving a driver or motorcycle rider with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher. In California 1,029 were killed on state and local roads driving with a .08 BAC or higher with another 28,457 injured in Alcohol Involved Collisions.

“Drunk driving is simply not worth the risk. Not only do you risk killing yourself or someone else, but the trauma and financial costs of a crash or an arrest for impaired driving can be significant,” said Christopher J. Murphy, Director of the California Office of Traffic Safety. “Violators often face jail time, the loss of their driver’s license, higher insurance rates, attorney fees, time away from work, and dozens of other expenses. So don’t take the chance. Remember, if you are over the limit, you are under arrest.”

Law Enforcement encourages everyone planning a family gathering over the holidays to first think about how your friends and family will get home after drinking during holiday celebrations. Everyone is encouraged to Report Drunk Drivers! Call 9-1-1 and be ready to describe the vehicle, its location and direction of travel to make your community safer into the New Year. With everyone’s help, families won’t remember the holidays of 2009 as a time of loss at the hands of another drunk driver.

For further information, please contact Sgt. Dan Lowe at 562-945-8256

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