Avoid the 30 – Riverside County July 4th Crackdown on Drunk Drivers

Don’t let this Fourth of July blow up in your face.
Remember, Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving.

Driving while drunk isn’t worth the tremendous risk. No matter your age, if you’ve had too much holiday spirit, you’d better find a safe and sober ride home or your chances of arrest are high. Overtime Holiday DUI Patrols are schedule in law enforcement’s ongoing battle to lower deaths and injuries on our roadways.

National statistics underscore the importance of the Independence Day DUI crackdown. In 2007, 34 percent of all drivers involved in traffic-related crashes during the July 4th holiday period had a blood alcohol levels of .08 or higher, the legal limit in every state. Nationwide there were a total of 200 traffic-related fatalities. Of those, 44 percent involved a driver or motorcycle rider with a BAC of .08 or higher. During the 2008 Independence Day Holiday weekend, California’s Alcohol Involved Deaths totaled 16 and another 280 suffered injuries, some life changing, due to intoxication. (The 2008 data is provisional information)

Too many people still fail to understand that alcohol and driving don’t mix. Impaired driving is no accident - nor is it a victimless crime. It’s vitally important that we bring this tragic situation to an end.

Drunk driving is one of America’s deadliest problems. In 2007, 41,059 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes. There were 12,998 people who were killed in traffic crashes that involved at least one driver or motorcycle rider with a blood alcohol over the legal limit.

Alcohol plays a big role in motorcycle fatalities too. Forty-one percent of the 2,182 motorcycle riders who were killed in single-vehicle crashes in 2007 had BAC levels of .08 or higher nationwide. In fatal crashes for 2007 a higher percentage of motorcycle riders had levels over the limit than any other type of vehicle driver.

So much of the tragedy from drunk driving can be prevented with a few simple precautions before going out to celebrate if you plan ahead: Designate a Sober Driver, call a cab, a friend or your family – Friends, Don’t let Friends, Drive Drunk!

Driving impaired is simply not worth the risk. The consequences are serious and real. Not only do you risk killing yourself or someone else, but the trauma and financial costs of a crash or an arrest for driving while impaired can be significant. Violators often face jail time, the loss of their driver’s license, higher insurance rates, and dozens of other unanticipated expenses.

Independence Day Enforcement

Riverside County Avoid the 30 is announcing its upcoming enforcement operations for the 4th of July Holiday DUI Crackdown. The following schedule of operations are provided for media releases. CHP is on Maximum Enforcement for the deployment period.

Murrieta PD - Region 1 hosts DUI Checkpoint:
Friday, July 3, 2009 – Murrieta

July 3 - 6, 2008, Regions 2, 3, 4 & 5 will host Saturation Patrols and CHP is on Maximum Enforcement all weekend.

Region 2:

Corona
Friday, July 3, 2009 7 p.m. to 3 a.m.

Moreno Valley
Friday, July 3, 2009 4 p.m. to 12 a.m.
Sunday, July 5, 2009 4 p.m. to 12 a.m.

Riverside
Friday, July 3, 2009 7 p.m. to 3 a.m.
Saturday, July 4, 2009 7 p.m. to 3 a.m.
Sunday, July 5, 2009 7 p.m. to 3 a.m.
Monday, July 6, 2009 7 p.m. to 3 a.m.

Region 3:

Beaumont
Friday, July 3, 2009 6 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Region 4:

Desert Hot Springs
Saturday, July 4, 2009 7 p.m. to 3 a.m

Palm Desert
Sunday, July 5, 2009 7 p.m. to 3 a.m.

Palm Springs
Sunday, July 5, 2009 7 p.m. to 3 a.m.

Rancho Mirage
Sunday, July 5, 2009 7 p.m. to 3 a.m.

Region 5:

La Quinta
Saturday, July 4, 2009 7 p.m. to 3 a.m.

Coachella
Friday, July 3, 2009 6 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Summer Labor Day Deployment

DUI/Drivers License Checkpoints and County-wide Saturation Patrols will be conducted August 21, 2009 – September 7, 2009, in all Riverside County cities.

Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

[July 2008 Schedule]
[August 2008 Schedule]
[Winter 2008/9 Schedule]