Crime & Safety
Valley CHP Plans Super Bowl Weekend DUI Crackdown
"Impaired driving is not only irresponsible, but it can also destroy lives," CHP Commissioner Warren Stanley said.
RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — Football fans planning to take part in Super Bowl parties on Sunday need to remember it's "game over" for anyone caught drinking and driving.
California Highway Patrol officers, along with Riverside County sheriff's deputies and officers from municipal law enforcement agencies countywide, will be conducting saturation patrols and staffing sobriety checkpoints to nab suspected drunken or drug-impaired motorists.
"Impaired driving is not only irresponsible, but it can also destroy lives," CHP Commissioner Warren Stanley said. "Choosing to get behind the wheel while under the influence can result in arrest, injury or death. If you drink or use other impairing substances, do not drive."
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According to Stanley, CHP officers arrested 352 people on suspicion of DUI during last year's Super Bowl Sunday crackdown. Seven people died and 134 were injured in alcohol-fueled collisions investigated by the CHP, figures showed.
"Have a plan in place before the game," Stanley said. "If you will be consuming alcoholic beverages or using other substances that may affect your ability to safely operate a vehicle, make the smart choice to use public transportation, a designated driver, or a rideshare service to get home."
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Anti-DUI operations are generally scheduled between 1 p.m. and 11 p.m. Sunday, covering the hours before, during and well after the conclusion of Super Bowl 53.
Officials offered the following tips to people planning to host Super Bowl parties:
- ensure guests have a designated driver or can arrange for ride-sharing
- serve plenty of food and non-alcoholic beverages at the party
- stop serving alcohol before the end of the game's third quarter
- take the keys away from guests showing signs of impairment, then call them a cab or arrange for alternate transportation
Under state law, anyone with a blood-alcohol level of .08 or higher is considered impaired.
Penalties for anyone convicted of a DUI offense can include suspension or revocation of driving privileges, steep fines, jail time and prison if there are injuries involved.
— By City News Service / Patch file photo by Renee Schiavone
