Throughout the year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration focuses much of their attention on the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign. However, their efforts do not end there. They also provide various grants to agencies that offer their support to the campaign. The California Office of Traffic Safety was one of the lucky few to receive such a grant.
Using this money, the OTS and the California Highway Patrol are partnering up to start a new campaign aimed at reducing the number of impaired driving related crashes. They will do so by increasing enforcement and advocating more educational opportunities about traffic safety. According to CHP Commissioner Warren Stanley, “reducing impaired driving through education and enforcement remains a high priority for the CHP.”
This joint effort, known as the California Impaired Driving Reduction (CIDR) campaign, started on October 1, 2019, and is scheduled to continue through September 30, 2020.
The campaign will help to fund and conduct traffic safety classes, with the aim of making sure the public is better educated about the risks of impaired driving. It will also fund additional DUI patrols and checkpoints. The hope is that, by educating the public about the risks, they will be better able to make smart decisions about drinking and driving – that is, to say no.
The official CHP press release stated, “The CHP continues to encourage the public to have a plan before getting on the road. In addition to alcohol, driving under the influence of cannabis, medications, and/or drugs is illegal and dangerous. Always designate a sober driver, take public transportation, or ride-share. There is always a better option than getting behind the wheel while impaired.
Also, the CHP would like to remind the public to call 9-1-1 if they suspect that someone is driving while drunk. The dispatcher will ask about a location, direction of travel, and a description of the vehicle – so be prepared.
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