| The Piedmont Highlander
800 Magnolia Ave Piedmont, Ca 94611 March 8, 2024 |
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| Dear editor, In your October 2023 issue, the Piedmont Highlander (TPH) ran a story, “A tale of two types.” The story covered drunk drivers and designated drivers. The article was written on the cusp of Halloween, Veterans Day weekend, the thanksgiving break, and the December holiday break. The article found 46% of students surveyed by TPH reported being in a car with an intoxicated driver.
According to the California Highway Patrol (CHP), these holiday weekends are declared “maximum enforcement periods” for drunk driving enforcement. In 2023, the CHP reported 639 motorists were arrested statewide on suspicion of driving while impaired (DUI) during the 2022 Christmas holiday weekend. During the holiday season from October 2023 through December 2023, the Piedmont Police Department (PPD) made a total of 16 arrets for DUI. One data point showed that from the days leading to the Veterans Day weekend of November 11th through December 9th, eight DUI arrests were made in six weeks. Consider the fact that Piedmont is a city with an area of 1.8 square miles compared to the greater east bay area of 6,966 square miles. Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) is a national organization focused on ending impaired driving for good. MADD has identified November 1st through January 1st as “the most dangerous times of the year on our nation’s roadways” per their website, MADD.org. Their website statistics tragically reported a total of 401,520 people were killed or injured in a drunk driving crash across the United States in 2021 alone. I urge you all to consider these statistics and choose to refrain from drinking alcoholic beverages as minors, smoking tobacco, or using other drugs. Even if you are of age, your safety is at risk if you drive after you have consumed alcoholic beverages or get in a car with someone who is impaired by alcohol or drugs. The consequences may cost you your life or the life of an innocent bystander. Instead of driving drunk, consider alternatives such as a ride service, a place to spend the night or a call to a trusted friend to pick you up. If you were to ask your parents to pick you up, I assure you they would be much happier holding you accountable than more dire consequences. Please, do not drink and drive. Sincerely, Hugo Diaz |
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Categories:
Letter to The Editor
Hugo Diaz, Guest Writer
August 22, 2024
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