Warning goes out to motorists to think before they drink, slow down and buckle-up
Butler - PennDOT Engineering District 10, the Butler County DUI Task Force, State Police and the Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement have joined forces in order to promote a unified TEAM DUI, speed and seatbelt enforcement effort throughout the Saint Patrick's Day holiday.
The enforcement effort will begin Friday, March, 13 and continue through the Saint Patrick's Day holiday. It may include sobriety check points, roving DUI patrols, undercover cops in shops and bars, and speed and seatbelt enforcement.
In 2007 in Pennsylvania, 1,491 people sadly lost their lives in vehicle crashes. Of those, 525 were alcohol-related and 559 people were not wearing seatbelts. In District 10's five counties, which include Armstrong, Butler, Clarion, Indiana and Jefferson Counties, 72 people lost their in lives in vehicle crashes. Twenty of those crashes were alcohol-related and 32 people were unbuckled. Most of these crashes could have been avoided if people would have designated a driver and buckled up.
PennDOT reminds motorists if you are planning to include alcohol in your holiday celebrations:
• Never drink and drive
• Pre-plan for safe transportation to get you and your friends home
• Designate a driver
• Call a friend or a parent
• Take a bus or taxi
• Never get in a car with someone who has been drinking
• Remember no one can afford a DUI
• Always wear your seatbelt
PennDOT offers the following safe driving tips:
• Allow extra time to reach your destination
• Concentrate on the safe operation of your vehicle
• Drive defensively
• Pre-check your vehicle for safety
• Make sure of the location of all children before backing up
• Make sure your children and all adults are properly buckled-up
• Use caution in work-zones
• Watch for cyclists and pedestrians
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