Save Newport Real News in Newport Beach
Friday, August 31 through Monday, September 3, 2018, there will be DUI Saturation Patrols throughout the city, and concentrated in areas with high frequencies of DUI collisions and/or arrests.
Unfortunately, the Labor Day holiday weekend is one of the deadliest times of year in terms of alcohol-involved traffic deaths, with a third of all fatal collisions involving drunk drivers.
“We are dedicated to the safety of our residents and visitors every day,” said Chief Jon Lewis. “During this holiday weekend, we’re putting more officers on the road to watch for the signs of impaired driving. This is not about writing tickets, or making arrests; it’s about getting the message out to everyone that you have to be sober when you get behind the wheel. Impaired driving is illegal, and it can be deadly.”
The cost of a ride home is cheap. Drivers caught driving impaired can expect the impact of a DUI arrest to include jail time, fines, fees, DUI classes, license suspensions and other expenses that can exceed $10,000.
DUI Saturation Patrols are claimed to reduce drunk driving mostly by deterrent, but also serve to actively arrest those who are driving under the influence. They also cause significant traffic delays, so if you are in a rush, be aware!
This is a good time remind everyone that when you drink, please call a taxi or use Uber, Lyft, or another service to ensure that you and others make it home safely!
Checkpoints generally consist of about 30 officers, according to historic averages. These officers spend 8 hours for a full days work between ~8pm and ~2am. The pool of your tax dollars that fund this effort are from a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
New users of Uber can use my code of “Uber4Newport” and it will pay for the first $15 of your fare. You can download Uber here: https://get.uber.com/invite/uber4newport
New users of Lyft can use my code of “SAVENEWPORT” and it will pay for the first $50 of your fare. You can download Lyft here: https://www.lyft.com/invited/SAVENEWPORT
You can call a Yellow Cab OC, at 714-999-9999
MAKE NOTE:
1) 18004mytaxi is no longer working, call the Yellow Cab OC number, above.
2) The Downtowner has been run out of business by Diane Dixon’s seasonal bus idea, so this is no longer a viable way to move around town.
In 2016, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that 10,497 people died nationwide in motor vehicle traffic crashes involving drunk drivers. Right here in California, 1,059 DUI deaths (involving a BAC of .08 or above) were reported to NHTSA that year.
