Full Notification

The Livermore Police Department will be deploying officers looking for impaired drivers over the Thanksgiving Holiday week.

In California, this deadly crime led to 867 deaths and over 23,000 serious injuries in 2013 because someone failed to designate a sober driver. Over the course of the past two and a half years, Livermore Police Officers have investigated 195 DUI collisions which have claimed 2 lives and resulted in 93 people suffering injuries.

LPD officers will be looking for drivers exhibiting signs of alcohol and/or drug impairment. When possible, specially trained officers will be available to evaluate those suspected of drug-impaired driving, which now accounts for a growing number of impaired driving crashes. Recent statistics reveal that nationally 30 percent of drivers in fatal crashes had one or more drugs in their system.
Law Enforcement emphasizes the preventable nature of drunk driving, reminding everyone that all it takes is a little planning ahead. Designate a sober driver or call a cab. But whatever you do, don’t drink and drive. The California Office of Traffic Safety Designated Driver VIP (DDVIP) mobile app is now available for free download on iOS and Android devices. Launched last year, the new DDVIP app offers enhanced features, allowing users to “Map a Spot” with their current location to find DDVIP partnering establishments in their area or a “List of Spots” to search all participating bars and restaurants throughout California. Users will be offered free incentives at each bar to celebrate their life saving role. They can stay up-to-date with the latest news from DDVIP and see what other users are saying via its social tab. Also through the app, for those who want to imbibe but also make it a point to plan ahead, users can easily order a sober ride from Uber, Lyft or Curb, all from one screen.

The cost of a ride home is cheap compared to a $10,000+ DUI conviction. The ‘inconvenience’ of not driving your own car home is nothing compared to the inconvenience of spending time behind bars.

LPD reminds our community members that if they observe a driver they suspect may be impaired, please safely call 9-1-1 and report your observations. It is important to provide a detailed description of the vehicle and its last known direction of travel. Citizens should only follow the suspected impaired driver if they can do so safely.