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Thursday, March 18th, 2010
Law enforcement agencies should be encouraged to employ the most effective means for getting drunk drivers off of the road. Unfortunately, ineffective tactics widely used today, including roadblocks and PR campaigns, target responsible adults while they ignore the root cause of today’s drunk driving problem — hard core product abusers and repeat offenders.
Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) show that the average blood alcohol content (BAC) of a drunk driver in a fatal car crash is 0.19% — more than twice the legal limit. The NHTSA administrator has said that today’s problem is “by far and away” made up of “those who have alcohol use disorders.” And a NHTSA study found that “specific deterrence strategies, like roving patrols that ‘hunt down’ DWIs, might be the optimum means for targeting the hard core drinking driver.”
“[T]he number of DWI arrests made by the roving patrol program was nearly three times the average number of DWIs made by the checkpoint programs,” NHTSA reported. “If making a large number of DWI arrests is an objective of a program, [the data] clearly suggests that roving patrols would be the preferred option.”
“Roadblocks, lower arrest thresholds, and red-ribbon campaigns are not going to change the behavior of the alcohol abusers who are the source of today’s drunk driving problem,” said ABI executive director John Doyle. “In fact, these efforts divert funds and attention away from the real problem. We need to use the most effective law enforcement methods we have to get drunk drivers off the road.”
However, DUI checkpoints exist as a marketing tool for MADD, and because substantial state and federal monies go to police for DUI checkpoints, keeping officers off the road and thus not finding persons drunk driving.
Tags
Alcohol, barry simons dui lawyer, Blood alcohol content, Driving under the influence, drunk driving, dui specialist orange county, Law, long beach dui lawyers, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, newport beach dui lawyers, orange county dui, orange county dui lawyers, Traffic collision
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Thursday, March 18th, 2010
The Costa Mesa Police Department will conduct a sobriety and driver’s license checkpoint on Monday, Marc 1 st , from 5:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m., on Harbor Boulevard at Fair Drive. Officers will screen drivers passing through the checkpoint for sobriety and for a valid driver’s license. Drivers found to be under the influence of alcohol or other drugs will be arrested, and unlicensed
drivers may be cited and have their cars towed.
DUI Checkpoints are not an effective way to accomplish the goal of public safety, but they are a cash cow for cops and the city, which needs the funding. The City makes most of their money from impounding vehicles, which gets paid even if the person is later found innocent, and the Federal Government chips in substantial funding for DUI Checkpoints. MADD also provides funding and volunteers.
As one of a few experienced Orange County DUI Lawyers practicing in this area, I’ve seen hundreds of DUI Checkpoints. Contact me if you need the advice of our Newport Beach DUI Lawyers.
Tags
Alcohol, barry simons dui lawyer, Blood alcohol content, Driving under the influence, drunk driving, dui specialist orange county, Law, long beach dui lawyers, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, newport beach dui lawyers, orange county dui, orange county dui lawyers, Traffic collision
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Thursday, March 18th, 2010
I loved reading Freakonomics, and look forward to reading SuperFreakonomics, but even before I do, I came across some eye raising information related to DUI politics, from the new book:
The authors, Steven Levitt and Steven Dubner, write:
“Each year, more than 1,00 drunk pedestrians die in traffic accidents. They step off sidewalks into city streets; they lie down to rest on country roads; they make mad dashes across busy highways. Compared with the total number of people killed in alcohol-related traffic accidents each year  about 13,000â€â€the number of drunk pedestrians is relatively small. But when you’re choosing whether to walk or driver, the overall number isn’t what counts. Here’s the relevant question: on a per-mile basis, is it more dangerous to drive drunk or walk drunk?
After running through some numbers, they find:
“Doing the match, you find that on a per-mile basis, a drunk walker is eight times more likely to get killed than a drunk driver.
They add a caveat that drunk walkers don’t kill other people, as drunk drivers do; but even factoring for that, “walking drunk leads to five times as many deaths per mile as driving drunk.â€Â
Add to that the stats showing that distracted driving, like using radios and CDs in a car (or even talking on your cellphone with a bluetooth headset), kills more people than DUI does, and you have a matter of selective enforcement.
From the book itself:
Imagine you’ve gone to a party at a friend’s house. He lives only a mile away. You have a great time, perhaps because you drank four glasses of wine. Now the party is breaking up. While draining your last glass, you dig out your car keys. Abruptly you conclude this is a bad idea: you are in no condition to drive home. For the past few decades, we’ve been rigorously educated about the risks of driving under the influence of alcohol. A drunk driver is thirteen times more likely to cause an accident than a sober one. And yet a lot of people still drive drunk. In the United States, more than 30 percent of all fatal crashes involve at least one driver who has been drinking. During the late-night hours, when alcohol use is greatest, that proportion rises to nearly 60 percent. Overall, 1 of every 140 miles is driving drunk, or 21 billion miles each year.
Why do so many people get behind the wheel after drinking? Maybe because–and this could be the most sobering statistic yet–drunk drivers are rarely caught. There is just one arrest for every 27,000 miles driven while drunk. That means you could expect to drive all the way across the country, and then back, and then back and forth three more times, chugging beers all the while, before you got pulled over. As with most bad behaviors, drunk driving could probably be wiped out entirely if a strong-enough incentive were instituted–random roadblocks, for instance, where drunk drivers are executed on the spot–but our society probably doesn’t have the appetite for that.
Meanwhile, back at your friend’s party, you have made what seems to be the easiest decision in history: instead of driving home, you’re going to walk. After all, it’s only a mile. You find your friend, thank him for the party, and tell him the plan. He heartily applauds your good judgment.
But should he? We all know that drunk driving is terribly risky, but what about drunk walking? Is the decision so easy?
Let’s look at some numbers, Each year, more than 1,000 drunk pedestrians die in traffic accidents. They step off sidewalks into city streets; they lie down to rest on country roads; they make mad dashes across busy highways. Compared with the total number of people killed in alcohol-related traffic accidents each year–about 13,000–the number of drunk pedestrians is relatively small. But when you’re choosing whether to walk or drive, the overall number isn’t what counts. Here’s the relevant question: on a per-mile basis, is it more dangerous to drive drunk or walk drunk?
The average American walks about a half-mile per day outside the home or workplace. There are some 237 million Americans sixteen and older; all told, that’s 43 billion miles walked each year by people of driving age. If we assume that 1 of every 140 of those miles are walked drunk–the same proportion of miles that are driven drunk–then 307 million miles are walked drunk each year.
Doing the math, you find that on a per-mile basis, a drunk walker is eight times more likely to get killed than a drunk driver.
There’s one important caveat: a drunk walker isn’t likely to hurt or kill anyone other than her- or himself. That can’t be said of a drunk driver. In fatal accidents involving alcohol, 36 percent of the victims are either passengers, pedestrians, or other drivers. Still, even after factoring in the deaths of those innocents, walking drunk leads to five times as many deaths per mile as driving drunk.
So as you leave your friend’s party, the decision should be clear: driving is safer than walking. (It be even safer, obviously , to drink less, or to call a cab.) The next time you put away four glasses of wine at a party, maybe you’ll think through your decision a bit differently. Or, if you’re too far gone, maybe your friend will help sort things out. Because friends don’t let friends walk drunk.
That’s my two cents as a DUI Specialist Orange County, but if you have any comments, please email me at rmiller[at]expertlawfirm[dot]com.
Tags
Alcohol, barry simons dui lawyer, Blood alcohol content, Driving under the influence, drunk driving, dui specialist orange county, Law, long beach dui lawyers, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, newport beach dui lawyers, orange county dui, orange county dui lawyers, Traffic collision
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Thursday, March 18th, 2010
Information was passed on from the police via press release to our Riverside DUI Lawyers regarding DUI patrols for the Superbowl this year.
Fans Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk
Avoid the 30 DUI Task Force Deploys Roving Saturation Patrols Super Bowl Sunday
Riverside, California- Riverside County AVOID the 30 program announced today that they are teaming up with the National Football League (NFL), California Office of Traffic Safety, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and law enforcement officials across the state to remind everyone to designate a sober driver if they plan to be drinking alcohol on Super Bowl Sunday.
“We want to pass our safety message to everyone who will be drinking this weekend, real Fans Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk,†said Supervisor Karen Haverkamp, the Riverside County AVOID the 30 coordinator. “Please act responsibly, designate a sober driver before the Super Bowl party begins and leave your car keys at home.â€Â
Super Bowl Sunday is one of America’s biggest and most entertaining national sporting events as friends and families gather to socialize and watch the big game. Yet, it has also become one of the Nation’s most dangerous days on the roadways due to impaired driving. The AVOID the 30 Riverside County DUI Task Force will be deploying DUI saturation patrols targeting those who drive impaired.
According to research by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2008, fatalities in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes accounted for 32 percent of all motor vehicle traffic fatalities. On Super Bowl Sunday 2008, 49 percent of the fatalities occurred in crashes where a driver or motorcycle rider had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level of .08 or higher.
In California 11 people were killed Super Sunday 2009 and another 133 were injured in Alcohol Involved Collisions. Tragically, that is 3 times the daily average killed in California with alcohol as a factor and those injured were over twice the daily average.
“Designating a sober driver should be on the top of everyone’s Super Bowl party list,†said Riverside Police Chief Russ Leach. “It’s just one of several easy steps to help save lives.â€Â
“We continue to see far too many people hurt or killed as a result of impaired driving. Please do your part to stop this senseless crime,†said Christopher J. Murphy, Director of the California Office of Traffic Safety. “To help ensure that this happens, the Avoid the 30 partners are dedicated to arresting impaired driving. To help, we ask everyone; ‘Report Drunk Drivers, Call 911!’â€Â
Riverside County Avoid the 30 will be conducting enforcement operations across the county for the Super Bowl Sunday Crackdown. Saturation patrols will be held in Beaumont, Blythe, Canyon Lake, Coachella, La Quinta, Menifee, Moreno Valley, Murrieta, Palm Springs, Perris, Riverside, San Jacinto, and Temecula. In addition, CHP is on Maximum Enforcement for the weekend.
If you are hosting a Super Bowl party:
Remember, you can be held liable and prosecuted if someone you served ends up in an impaired-driving crash.
Make sure all of your guests designate their sober drivers in advance, or help arrange ride-sharing with other sober drivers.
Serve lots of food and include lots of non-alcoholic beverages at the party.
Stop serving alcohol at the end of the third quarter of the game and begin serving coffee and dessert.
Keep the numbers for local cab companies handy, and take the keys away from anyone who is thinking of driving while impaired.
If you are attending a Super Bowl party or watching at a sports bar or restaurant:
Designate your sober driver before the party begins and leave your car keys at home.
Avoid drinking too much alcohol too fast. Pace yourselfâ€â€eat enough food, take breaks, and alternate with non-alcoholic drinks.
If you don’t have a designated driver, ask a sober friend for a ride home; call a cab, friend, or family member to come and get you; or just stay where you are and sleep it off until you are sober.
Never let a friend get behind the wheel of their vehicle if you think they are about to drive while impaired. Remember, Fans Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk.
Always buckle up – it’s still your best defense against other impaired drivers.
For more information, please visit www.StopImpairedDriving.org or www.avoidthe30.org
Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Date: Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Contact: Karen Haverkamp, Traffic Bureau Administrative Supervisor
Phone: (951) 3353-7980 or khaver@riversideca.gov
Tags
Alcohol, barry simons dui lawyer, Blood alcohol content, Driving under the influence, drunk driving, dui specialist orange county, Law, long beach dui lawyers, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, newport beach dui lawyers, orange county dui, orange county dui lawyers, Traffic collision
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Thursday, March 18th, 2010
Moreno Valley Police Department Checkpoint.
As a DUI specialist Orange County, I get announcements of DUI checkpoints before anyone else. Check out the information below, sent by the Moreno Valley Police Department:
The Moreno Valley Police Department will conduct a sobriety and driver’s license checkpoint on Thursday January 28, from 6:00 p.m. to 12:30 a.m., in the City of Moreno Valley. Officers will screen drivers passing through the checkpoint for sobriety and for a valid driver’s license. Drivers found to be under the influence of alcohol or other drugs will be arrested, and unlicensed drivers may be cited and have their cars towed.
“DUI arrests can be embarrassing and expensive, but they’re easy to prevent,†said Police Chief John Anderson. “If you’re drinking, hand your keys over to a designated sober driver, or call a taxi or sober friend for a ride home. Don’t risk an arrest â€â€or worse, a serious injury or even death.â€Â
The purpose of the sobriety checkpoint is to serve as a reminder to use designated drivers and not drink and drive.
It is the Moreno Valley Police Department’s goal to continue providing public awareness on the dangers of drinking and driving, and the laws concerning driving without a driver’s license. Motorists approaching a checkpoint will observe traffic signs, information and police officers advising that a checkpoint is ahead. Once diverted into a lane, motorists will be delayed a moment while an officer explains the purpose of the checkpoint.
Funding for this checkpoint comes from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration.
Tags
Alcohol, barry simons dui lawyer, Blood alcohol content, Driving under the influence, drunk driving, dui specialist orange county, Law, long beach dui lawyers, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, newport beach dui lawyers, orange county dui, orange county dui lawyers, Traffic collision
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Thursday, March 18th, 2010
West Bureau Sobriety Checkpoint NA09266ah
What:Sobriety & Drivers License Checkpoint
When: Friday, October 9, 2009 8:00 p.m. – 3:00 a.m.
Where:Sunset Boulevard and Orange Drive
Who:Emergency Operations Division and West Traffic Division
Why:The purpose of the sobriety checkpoint is to reduce the number of traffic collisions involving intoxicated drivers and hit and run collisions. During this year, residents residing in the Hollywood Area have endured 110 driving under the influence-related and 865 hit and run traffic collisions. The checkpoint will educate the community to use designated drivers and not drink and drive. Our message is simple: If we catch you drunk, you will be arrested.
It is the Los Angeles Police Department’s goal to continue providing public awareness on the dangers of drinking and driving, and the laws concerning driving without a valid driver’s license. Motorists approaching a checkpoint will observe traffic signs, information and police officers advising that a checkpoint is ahead. Once diverted into a lane, each motorist will be detained momentarily while an officer explains the purpose of the checkpoint.
Funding for this checkpoint is provided by the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration. We can all help make our streets safer, please report Drunk Drivers – Call 911.
For further information, please contact Officer Don Inman, Traffic Coordination Section at 213-847-1624.
Tags
Alcohol, barry simons dui lawyer, Blood alcohol content, Driving under the influence, drunk driving, dui specialist orange county, Law, long beach dui lawyers, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, newport beach dui lawyers, orange county dui, orange county dui lawyers, Traffic collision
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Thursday, March 18th, 2010
Note: The following DUI checkpoint press release was sent to our law firm, (we’re known for being the best Orange County DUI Lawyers around), and we present it for your information, and your help in planning your holiday weekend and driving plans. If you have questions about this out of town DUI checkpoint, contact us anytime at (714) 568-1560.
If you plan to make merry this holiday season by hoisting a few, be forewarned: Fullerton police are out there looking for you.
Fullerton police will conduct a sobriety checkpoint Saturday, Dec., 19, to watch for intoxicated drivers. The checkpoint which will be held from 8 p.m.-2 a.m. The location is not being announced, but will be on a major thoroughfare. (Typically near Commonwealth and Harbor in the Downtown Fullerton area in the city, based upon past DUI checkpoints).
Motorists passing through the Fullerton checkpoint will also receive safe driving literature donated by Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD), as part of the political connection between DUI law enforcement and MADD.
The Fullerton checkpoint will be the first of 300 DUI checkpoints planned by law enforcement agencies throughout the state as part of an 18-day “Holiday DUI Crackdown Campaign†funded by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Fullerton’s officers “will be adopting a zero tolerance approach to DUI cases,†said Sgt. Tak Kim, who is coordinating the event for the Police Department. “If you’re over the legal limit, you’re going to jail.â€Â
Kim said the intent of the program “is not to spoil the holidays for anyone. Rather, our single goal is to try to make sure everyone has a great holiday by keeping intoxicated motorists off the streets where they can’t hurt themselves or innocent bystanders.â€Â
The statewide Holiday DUI Crackdown Campaign will run Dec. 19 through Jan. 3, as I have reported in another posting. DUIs have dropped in the past few years, which is urging law enforcement to show that they are needed to keep streets safe (and keep their jobs).
Further information about the DUI enforcement program may be obtained by calling the Traffic Bureau of the Fullerton Police Department at (714) 738-5313.
Original press release is also available online here: http://www.ci.fullerton.ca.us/civica/press/display.asp?layout=1&Entry=1923
Tags
Alcohol, barry simons dui lawyer, Blood alcohol content, Driving under the influence, drunk driving, dui specialist orange county, Law, long beach dui lawyers, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, newport beach dui lawyers, orange county dui, orange county dui lawyers, Traffic collision
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Thursday, March 18th, 2010
Note: The following DUI checkpoint press release was sent to our law firm, (we’re known for being the best Orange County DUI Lawyers around), and we present it for your information, and your help in planning your holiday weekend and driving plans. If you have questions about this out of town DUI checkpoint, contact us anytime at (714) 568-1560.
What: Sobriety & Drivers License Checkpoint
When: Saturday, December 19, 2009 6:00 PM – 1:00 AM
Where: Vineland Boulevard near Vanowen Street in North Hollywood
Who: Emergency Operations Division and Valley Traffic Division
Why: The purpose of the sobriety checkpoint is to reduce the number of traffic collisions involving intoxicated drivers and hit and run collisions. As of November 14, 2009, the North Hollywood Area has endured over 162 driving under the influence-related collisions.
Motorists approaching a checkpoint will see informational signs advising them that a sobriety checkpoint is ahead. Once diverted into the lane, motorists will be detained only a few moments while an officer explains the purpose of the checkpoint.
The sobriety checkpoint will be conducted in accordance with the guidelines for checkpoint operations in the Supreme Court decision, Ingersoll vs. Palmer. Traffic volume permitting, all vehicles will be checked. If volume becomes too heavy, vehicles to be checked will be selected by a pre-set standard (such as every 3rd or 5th vehicle) to assure objectivity.
The Los Angeles Police Department is well aware that placing checkpoints on roads with identified DUI problems and detaining drivers for a very limited time “helps to assure that the Department conforms to the Ingersoll guidelines. Sobriety checkpoints tend to reduce the number of drinking drivers on the road, even though arrest totals do not rise dramatically. A major value of checkpoints is their psychological influence.
For further information, please contact LAPD Media Relations.
Tags
Alcohol, barry simons dui lawyer, Blood alcohol content, Driving under the influence, drunk driving, dui specialist orange county, Law, long beach dui lawyers, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, newport beach dui lawyers, orange county dui, orange county dui lawyers, Traffic collision
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Thursday, March 18th, 2010
Note: As a Los Angeles DUI Attorney, I present the information below for public knowledge in planning your holiday activities and driving this weekend.
South Traffic Division Weekend Sobriety Checkpoint
WHAT:Sobriety Checkpoint
WHEN: Saturday, December 19, 2009 6 p.m. to 1 a.m.
WHERE:Florence Avenue between Western Avenue and St. Andrews Place
WHO:South Traffic Division Officers
WHY: Despite the tireless efforts of thousands of advocates and law enforcement officers alike, drunk driving continues to be one of America’s deadliest crimes. This operation will be conducted in an effort to reduce the incidence of injuries, death, and property damage associated with the intoxicated driver in this area. This year the residents in 77th Division Area have endured 131 driving under the influence related, and 1171 hit and run, traffic collisions. This checkpoint will serve as a reminder to the community of 77th Division to use designated drivers and not to drink and drive.
Funding for this checkpoint comes from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration. We can all help make our streets safer. Report Drunk Drivers – Call 9-1-1.
CONTACT: For further information contact Sergeant Stephen Egan, South Traffic Division, Crime Task Force/Driving Under the Influence (CTF/DUI) Enforcement Detail at 213-485-5115, or Los Angeles Police Department Media Relations Section at 213-486-5910.
Tags
Alcohol, barry simons dui lawyer, Blood alcohol content, Driving under the influence, drunk driving, dui specialist orange county, Law, long beach dui lawyers, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, newport beach dui lawyers, orange county dui, orange county dui lawyers, Traffic collision
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Thursday, March 18th, 2010
Note: The Los Angeles DUI information below was sent to our law firm as a press release, and we present it here for your information in planning your holiday weekend.
WHAT: DUI Checkpoint
WHEN: Friday, December 18, 2009 7 p.m. to 3 a.m.
WHERE:Western Avenue and Wilshire Boulevard
WHO:West Traffic Division Officers
WHY: The purpose of the Sobriety/Driver’s License checkpoint is to reduce the number of traffic collisions involving intoxicated and unlicensed drivers, as well as the number of hit-and-run traffic collisions. The Los Angeles Police Department seeks to achieve these goals through enforcement and public awareness.
Funding for this checkpoint comes from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration. We can all help make our streets safer. Report Drunk Drivers – Call 9-1-1.
CONTACT:For further information contact Sergeant John Ficken, West Traffic Division, Driving under the Influence (DUI) Team at 213-473-0222, or Los Angeles Police Department Media Relations Section at 213-486-5910.
Tags
Alcohol, barry simons dui lawyer, Blood alcohol content, Driving under the influence, drunk driving, dui specialist orange county, Law, long beach dui lawyers, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, newport beach dui lawyers, orange county dui, orange county dui lawyers, Traffic collision
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