Full Notification

For Immediate Release
July 3, 2018
 
Contact: Sergeant Scott Combs, Traffic Sergeant, (310) 802-5166  
                       
Date of Incident: July 4, 2018
 
Subject: Help Us Save Lives this Fourth of July                                   
Location: Manhattan Beach, CA, 90266

Help us save lives this fourth of july

“DUI Doesn’t Just Mean Booze”

On this Independence Day, the Manhattan Beach Police Department wants to remind you to plan for a safe week of festivities by not driving under the influence of alcohol, marijuana or drugs. Doing so ensures you will not put others, and yourself, in danger by driving impaired.

“We want our community to enjoy the Fourth of July holiday, but we want them to do so responsibly,” said Manhattan Beach Police Chief Derrick Abell. “This is not a joke, and it’s not a time to test the laws. Alcohol or drug impaired driving is illegal, but it’s also deadly.  Please ensure you have a sober driver lined up to get you home safely from your holiday festivities. Doing so could save a life.”
 
During the 2017 four-day Fourth of July holiday in California, 17 people were killed and 430 injured in alcohol involved crashes. The Manhattan Beach Police Department supports the new effort from the Office of Traffic Safety that aims to educate all drivers that “DUI Doesn’t Just Mean Booze.”  If you take prescription drugs, particularly those with a driving or operating machinery warning on the label, you might be impaired enough to get a DUI.  Marijuana can also be impairing, especially in combination with alcohol or other drugs, and can result in a DUI.
 
Prepare for the Fourth
If you will be drinking, plan how you will get around without driving. Remember these tips for a safe night on the roads:

• Designate a sober driver or use public transportation or a ride sharing service to get home safely. 
• Have a friend or family member who is about to drive buzzed or impaired? Take the keys away and make arrangements to get them home safely.
• Report drunk drivers - call 911.

You can also do your part by volunteering to be a designated sober driver! Through our DDVIP program, select bars and restaurants are offering non-alcoholic specialty drinks for sober drivers, among other deals: http://bit.ly/OTSDDrinks.
 
To learn more about DDVIP and other OTS awareness, education and enforcement campaigns, visit www.ots.ca.gov, as well as our Facebook and Twitter pages: https://www.facebook.com/CaliforniaOTS/ and https://twitter.com/OTS_CA?lang=en.