The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) in coordination with the Coronado Police Department (CPD) held a joint information session on the risks and dangers of driving under the influence of alcohol onboard Naval Air Station North Island, Feb. 20.
As Sailors listened, Corporal Andrew Hutchens spoke on his experiences with arrests and collisions that involved people driving while intoxicated. Hutchens is an acting sergeant with the CPD and has been working with them for three years.
“DUI enforcement is something I’m passionate about,” said Hutchens. “It’s something I’ve been training on for years, as well as traffic collisions, which often go hand in hand with DUIs unfortunately.”
During the event, Hutchens described many of the common myths surrounding drinking and driving. One common myth is that in order to be arrested, a driver has to have a blood alcohol level above a 0.08%. Although this is true, it is not the only factor that can dictate whether a driver gets arrested or not.
“You can be arrested below 0.08%,” said Hutchens. “All we have to show is that is that your driving was somehow impaired by the alcohol in your system. If you’re under 21, all I have to prove is that any alcohol at all is in your system.”
Other misconceptions include the number of drinks that it takes to get to a 0.08% and various ways to get sober faster. In many cases, two to four 12oz cans of beer will result in a blood alcohol level above the legal limit. Once someone is intoxicated, there is nothing that will sober them up other than time. Methods like drinking water, rolling down the window to get fresh air or chewing peppermint gum won’t help to avoid a DUI.
“If you feel a little bit better with the window rolled down, congratulations,” said Hutchens. “But when one of my partners and I pull you over, smell the alcohol coming off your breath and we end up arresting you, you’re going to jail.”
After Hutchens spoke, multiple Sailors participated in sobriety tests that simulated being under the influence. This involved a Sailor wearing goggles that simulated the effects of being intoxicated while a police officer ran them through the same tests that they use in the real world to gauge a person’s level of intoxication.
“Once I put on the goggles, I couldn’t process anything,” said Retail Services Specialist 3rd Class Savaughn Watkins, from Fort Smith, Arkansas, one of the Sailors who participated in the event. “All I knew was that I was about to fall every time I tried to take a step.”
Throughout these exercises and the discussion held by Hutchens, the effects alcohol has on judgment and coordination was made clear, encouraging young Sailors to stay safe and responsible. Safe alternatives to driving under the influence include San Diego and Coronado public transport, rideshare services, and Safe Ride, a program put in place by the Coalition of Sailors Against Destructive Decisions which pays for a ride home in the event that a Sailor is too intoxicated to drive.
“I hope that it will improve the statistics on the rate of DUIs,” said Electrician’s Mate 3rd Class Alec Fontenot, from Mamou, Louisiana, a participant in the DAPA event. “I don’t see why you would ever drive drunk if you knew that there was an easy alternative available.”
Theodore Roosevelt, the flagship of Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group, is currently pierside at Naval Air Station North Island in its homeport of San Diego undergoing routine maintenance and equipment upgrades during a Planned Incremental Availability.
Story by Seaman Apprentice Alexander Bussman
