DUI Checkpoint: The Police Department will host a multi-agency DUI sobriety checkpoint on Saturday evening. The enforcement effort is intended to increase public awareness and decrease the number of drivers who drive under the influence of alcohol and drugs. MADD will also be on hand to provide education and prevention material to drivers. Funding for the event is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Safety Administration.
I got stuck in it myself returning to town in the ambulance from transporting a pediatric seizure to Children’s Hospital. For those of you who may have been inconvenienced by the delay and not understand why this is necessary I offer the following:
I and over a dozen of my colleagues worked the fatality traffic collision on the Silver Strand last month where a gentleman was killed and two others transported to area Trauma Centers. This collision was allegedly caused by an impaired driver who side-swiped one car at a high rate of speed then careened across the median and struck another vehicle head-on killing the passenger and injuring three others.
DUI’s are a SERIOUS problem and this checkpoint was set up to screen people coming INTO Coronado on a BUSY holiday weekend. There were many DUI’s found, numerous vehicles towed, illegal substances found, citations and even arrests made on various charges, etc. These were people who would have otherwise been sharing your streets with you and your families this Memorial Day Weekend. I can’t say it’s directly related, but compared to most Saturday nights in the summer it was a relatively quiet night for the Fire Department–and believe me, that’s a good thing! 😉
The people of Coronado and the thousands of tourists enjoying our “Third Best Beaches in the US”, our fine restaurants and charming City seemed to be enjoying themselves. We are grateful to our brothers and sisters in the thin blue line (or green line, I guess if you’re with the Sheriff’s Dept.) for keeping us all safe. We work closely with our Coronado Police to provide for your safety and in my (not so) humble opinion they are some of the best in the County. You all should be VERY proud of the excellent job they do for you 24/7 365 days a year.
Oh, and while I’m on a roll, I’m still completely shocked at the number of people I see driving around this town with a phone stuck to their ear. And don’t get me started on texting and checking your email on your smart phone while driving! I’ve noticed a marked decline in serious vehicle accident injuries since the seat belt law and the proliferation of airbags and crumple zones in my short 16 years working in Coronado. We used to fly people out on a helicopter to UCSD Trauma Center with some regularity back in the 1990’s but not anymore. If you’re wearing a seat belt (especially in a newer designed car) your chances of walking away from an otherwise serious collision increase DRAMATICALLY.
However, I’m now seeing a surge in “fender bender” types of accidents with causes that are seemingly unexplainable! “How did you NOT see all that stopped traffic up ahead?” “How did you NOT see that lady you just cut in front of–or was it the stop sign you missed seeing?” Of course, as a professional I would never say anything, but meanwhile as we’re strapping them down to the backboard and prepping them for transport to a local hospital for evaluation of usually fairly minor injuries–their phone is ringing and buzzing and beeping continually: “Hey! Are you there? What happened? Where’d you go?”
The car did its job and it’s totaled–but the statistic is generated. Now the wait time will increase a bit more in the ER and now all of our insurance rates are going to go up. It’s becoming an increasingly alarming statistic and it’s got to stop. Talk to your kids–set a good example. Take a pledge to always wear your seat belt, never drink/call/text/check email and drive. If you must make calls while driving get a hand’s free setup that works well enough that you USE IT. Get your speed dial set up properly so you don’t have to look down for the commonly dialed numbers. Get voice activated dialing so you don’t have to look down at all to dial. If you must check something important on your phone PULL OVER AND STOP.
Sorry for the rant, but my job is to keep you safe and I can do a better job of that by preventing you and your family from needing my services. Believe me, I get plenty of business from other things that are not as easily preventable!
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