Police Step Up DUI Enforcement July 4

From the City of Temple Terrace:

Independence Day is one of the deadliest holidays of the year due to alcohol-related vehicle crashes, police say.

That’s why the is stepping up its DUI enforcement efforts this July 4 as part of the ongoing “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign. Police officers will be working hard to catch and arrest impaired drivers who put themselves and others at risk.

Police will be on the lookout for impaired driving through increased sobriety checkpoints, roving and saturation patrols, and other enforcement methods.

July 4 celebrations often start during the day, but last well into the night—making the dangers from impaired drivers even higher at night. The proportion of alcohol impairment among drivers involved in fatal crashes on Independence Day 2010 was almost five times higher at night (6 p.m. to 5:59 a.m.) than during the day, statistics show. In fact, more than 80 percent of alcohol-related driving fatalities took place at nighttime.

The Temple Terrace Police Department recommends these simple tips for a safe July 4:

• Plan a safe way home before the fun begins;
• Before drinking, designate a sober driver;
• If you’re impaired, use a taxi, call a sober friend or family member, or use public transportation; and
• If you know someone who is about to drive while impaired, take their keys and help make other arrangements to get them to where they’re going.

For more information, visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over website.