Awareness program aims to curb drunk driving during the holidays
There was a holiday gathering Thursday in Harrigan’s Restaurant and Lounge in the Uniontown Holiday Inn even though no bartenders, waitresses, bands or DJs were working and the only available fare was coffee and doughnuts. The setting fit the message that those who assembled wanted to deliver.
Representatives from the state police, Uniontown Hospital, Department of Transportation and the Fayette County Drug and Alcohol Commission got together to promote the commission’s “Hand Over the Reins” program.
The program encourages people to have designated sober drivers during holiday celebrations, and bars to offer incentives for designated drivers.
“We’re not serving alcohol at the bar today,” said hospital spokesperson Karen Dei Cas.
Dr. Jeffrey Frye, the hospital’s medical director and a 14-year emergency physician, said the holidays can be hectic, causing people to hurry and get by on less than enough sleep.
During this busy time of year people often stop somewhere for a drink or two and then hurry off without thinking about the potential dangers they create by driving after drinking, he said.
Movies inaccurately portray coffee as having a sobering effect, Frey said, noting that it takes an hour for the body to process one alcoholic drink.
Half of all traffic fatalities in the state during the holidays are alcohol related and half of all people drink only during the holidays, Frye said.
A 180-pound man reaches a .08 percent blood-alcohol content level, which is the minimum required in Pennsylvania’s DUI laws, after four drinks, while a 120-pound woman reaches that level after just two drinks, according to the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board.
“Don’t drink and drive,” Frye said. “Turn your keys over to somebody else.”
Citing a statistic, he said 7 million people in the country drove immediately after using illicit drugs this year.
As a husband and father of three, he said he looks forward to the holidays, but, as a doctor, he feels “trepidation” and “angst” as the season approaches.
He said an injury or death of a loved one during the holidays is difficult to deal with.
“I truly hope I don’t see you in Uniontown Hospital over the holidays,” Frye said.
He also urged everybody to use seatbelts and to secure children in safety seats.
State Police Lt. Charles Depp, commander of the Uniontown station, said a number of people arrested for driving under the influence are first-time drinkers.
He said speeding and driving under the influence cause many accidents, and it is the job of the police to try to prevent accidents by citing speeders and arresting drunk drivers.
“The message from the state police is please be safe. Be sober. Have a great holiday,” Depp said.
Judy White, DUI Coordinator for the commission, said the commission developed the “Hand Over the Reins” program with local restaurant and bar owners in 1991.
Designated drivers should not hesitate to ask bar or restaurant personnel if they offer complimentary non-alcoholic beverages, food or other promotional considerations to designated drivers, according to program literature.
If at any time the driver is seen drinking an alcoholic beverage, all privileges would be revoked and he or she would be charged for all consumed items.
Cathy Kumor, DUI prevention specialist for the commission, said billboards promoting the program will be erected in the county and many businesses, even those that don’t serve alcohol, will place program posters in their windows.
She said other “Hand Over the Reins” display items and information are available to bars and restaurants.
PennDOT spokesman Jay Ofsanik said from Thanksgiving Day through Dec. 31, 2001, there were 15,327 traffic accidents in the state that resulted in 207 fatalities.
Alcohol was a factor in 1,692 of the crashes and 67, which is more than a third, of the fatalities, he said.
“We want everybody to enjoy the holidays, but we want to stress you have to be careful,” Ofsanik said.
He said a fatal accident during the holidays could ruin future holidays for loved ones.
Family members would rather be woken up by a call for a ride home than by a call from the police about an accident, Ofsanik said.
After the news conference, Depp said state police have a new tool to help troopers locate drunk drivers and speeders.
Along with extra patrols during the holiday, a new computer program creates a “pin map” that tells them where and when accidents, DUI arrests and speeding violations have occurred most often. The program is updated daily, he said.
The number of troopers working afternoon shifts has doubled since the program was put into use in September to patrol the locations identified by the program, he said.
The program is also used to track trends and patterns in other crimes.
“It’s a very interesting tool we have,” Depp said.