Cops Cracking Down on Drunk Drivers on Super Bowl XLVI Weekend
LOS ANGELES, California –It may be the New England Patriots vs. the New York Giants on the football field, but out on the streets of Southern California it’s going to be the LAPD vs. Drunk Drivers.
Southern California police departments in Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, Riverside and San Bernardino are gearing up for one of its deadliest weekends on our roadways: Super Bowl XLVI.
Indeed, driving on Super Bowl Sunday is the second-deadliest day to be on the road in terms of the number of alcohol-related traffic injuries and fatalities, according to statistics compiled by the Insurance Information Institute.
Drunk Drivers and California Car Accidents
Overall, there were 791 people killed in 2010 in alcohol-related car accidents in California, according to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration. Additionally, a study by the Automobile Club of Southern California says that drunk driving incidents are 27% more likely to occur in California on Super Bowl Sunday.
“Superbowl fans who drink need to sober up before driving home,” said West Seegmiller, founder of the Seegmiller Law Firm. “Keep the party off the roads and designate a sober driver when it’s time to head home or else someone may be seriously injured or killed this weekend.”
It’s an American tradition to gather with friends and family and watch the National Football League’s battle for the Vince Lombardi Trophy, but alcohol consumption is a big part of the festivities and police departments know it.
In fact, this Super Bowl weekend the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) will be conducting sobriety checkpoints targeting drivers under the influence from Thursday through Sunday in an effort to remind drivers not to drink and drive.
If you do drink and drive, be prepared to pay legal fees and fines over $10,000, spend some time behind bars, lose your driving privileges and pay more for automobile insurance.
According to the LAPD, DUI related traffic collisions have claimed 50 lives and injured 3,413 people over the past three years in Los Angeles. Every year, fatal accidents involving drunk drivers comprise the largest category of overall vehicle fatalities, police said. The police department plans to conduct both DUI Checkpoints and Saturation Patrols.
So if you are planning or attending a Super Bowl party where alcohol will be served, plan ahead and designate a sober driver so you won’t be involved in a deadly car accident.
Have you been injured in a California car accident by a drunk driver? Were you injured in a car accident on Superbowl Sunday? For roughly 30 years, the legal experts at Seegmiller Law Firm have represented hundreds of clients injured in serious traffic accidents. Our legal team has also handled hundreds of wrongful death claims for families of victims killed in traffic accidents by drunk drivers and other negligent drivers. Indeed, the car accident law firm has a proven track record supported by settlements ranging from several thousand dollars to millions.
Seegmiller is a California Personal Injury Law Firm with a track record of proven results. There is no cost to clients until our experienced team of lawyers and legal professionals have won your case. Finding the best car accident attorney can mean you will get the settlement you need to get your life back on track. Compensation for your injuries, loss of wages and pain and suffering can’t take away the trauma of the accident, but it can help you rebuild your life.
Call us today at 1-877-426-0695 to speak with our car accident law firm. Seegmiller Law Firm has offices in California including its headquarters in Irvine. We also have offices outside of Orange County to serve you in Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside and in Las Vegas, Nevada.
LAPD sobriety checkpoints this weekend:
- February 2, 2011 (Thursday) – DUI Saturation Patrol in Olympic Area from 8 PM to 2 AM;
- February 3, 2011 (Friday) – Sobriety Checkpoint on Vermont Avenue and 5th Street from 8 PM to 2 AM;
- February 4, 2011 (Saturday) – Sobriety Checkpoint on Foothill Boulevard at Hubbard Street from 8 PM to 2 AM; and,
- February 5, 2011 (Sunday) – DUI Saturation Patrol in 77th Street Area from 12 PM to 8 PM.
Mothers Against Drunk Drivers Tips for Sober Driving on Super Bowl Sunday:
- Plan activities. Planned activities like party games, door prize drawings or amateur fortune-telling engage people, make for less active consumption of alcohol and ensure that your friends remember the great event long after the last touchdown was thrown.
- Avoid mixers. Mixers won’t help dilute alcohol. Carbonated mixers like club soda or tonic water cause alcohol to be absorbed into a person’s system more quickly. Fruit juice and other sweet mixers mask the taste of alcohol and may cause people to drink more.
- Designate sober drivers. As guests RSVP, confirm that at least one person in each group is prepared to be the non-drinking designated driver.
- Provide plenty of food. Food helps prevent guests from drinking on an empty stomach, which causes guests to get intoxicated faster.
- Avoid too many salty snacks. They tend to make people thirsty and drink more.
- Offer non-alcoholic beverages. Give beverage options that don’t involve alcohol to designated drivers and others who prefer not to drink alcohol.
- Respect 21. Never serve alcohol to someone under the legal drinking age, and never ask children to serve alcohol at parties.
- Be ready to step in. Despite your efforts, if some of your guests have had too much to drink, drive them home, arrange for a ride with another guest who is sober, call a taxi or invite them to stay over.
–By Susan Schaben