DUI Task Force

Special event organizers change alcohol sale policies

By Canda Harbaugh, The Western News

Organizers of summer events in Libby and Troy are upbeat about implementing measures to reduce drunk driving, over-drinking and underage drinking this year.

“We feel it’s not necessarily bad to drink,” said Debi Davidson, a Libby Logger Days organizer. “If you prove you can do it responsibly, that also teaches the youth of today to be responsible.”

Maggie Anderson of the Montana Community Change Project has helped guide these changes for some events, such as Eureka’s Rendezvous celebration last April and Libby Logger Days later this month.

“I thought (the changes) would be the hardest sell,” Anderson said at a recent Libby City Council meeting. She said she was “thrilled” that organizers and city councils in the county were receptive to placing restrictions at events to deter irresponsible alcohol consumption and underage drinking.

Some organizers, such as that of Troy’s Old Fashioned Fourth of July celebration, came up with alcohol restrictions on their own.

“Every year we discuss what worked and what didn’t,” said Melody Condron, a Troy Fourth of July organizer. “It’s a constant conversation. As an event that serves alcohol, we change and adapt to the way people are acting.”

Drink specials that Condron said encourages more alcohol consumption will be axed. The amount of alcohol that can be purchased at once will be limited to discourage attendees from handing out drinks to minors. Drink sizes will be smaller, and lighting will be improved to better check identification and hand stamps.

Organizers opted for hand stamps instead of bracelets this year because people have in the past slid them off and had given them to underage friends.

“We have also upped the security this year,” Condron said. “More police on hand encourages younger people not to drink because they see more people around.”

Lincoln County sheriff officers will provide extra patrols for a crowd that grew to 6,000 people last year.

Anderson believes that the most effective alcohol deterrents for underage people are a physical boundary between drinkers and non-drinkers, and responsible sales and server training. Libby Logger Days traditionally has a separate beer garden, and has taken the extra step this year to have all of its volunteers take server classes.

Anderson first contacted organizers about a month ago.

“She presented the statistics of alcohol use in Lincoln County, and we all agreed we’d like to be a part of making change,” Davidson said.

The training covers topics like how to recognize someone who is on the verge of being over-served, and how to graciously offer a glass of water instead of a beer.

In addition, organizers this year will be using a scanner to verify identification.

Davidson said that the precautions not only provide for a safer event, but it lowers the cost of event insurance.

“The less money we have to spend on insurance,” she said, “the more we can put into school fundraisers that we do.”

Organizers from both events emphasized that they want to continue providing a family-friendly atmosphere.

Drunk Driving is a Deadly Problem

The goal is to warn people of the dangers and consequences of driving while impaired. Every 39 minutes and nearly 40 times a day, someone in the United States dies in an impaired driving-related crash according to research by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. That is why Lincoln County Safe Kids/Safe Communities and DUI Taskforce, along with other highway safety, community health and law enforcement officials are reminding everyone this Fourth of July that Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving and to designate a sober driver before the celebrations begin.

--Alcohol is a major factor in fatal crashes during the July 4 holiday

--In 2006, 27 percent of all drivers involved in traffic related crashes during the Fourth of July holiday period (6:00PM FRIDAY, JUNE 30, 2006 TO 5:59 AM WEDNESDAY, JULY 5, 2006) possessed a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher.

--During the July 4th holiday period there were a total of 659 traffic related fatalities. Out of that number, 37% involved a driver or motorcyclist with a BAC of .08 or higher.

--In 2006, 42,642 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes. Out of that number 13,470 people were killed in traffic crashes that involved at least one driver or motorcyclist with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher.

--Plan a safe way home before the festivities begin, so you can be alive to enjoy the next celebration

--Plan a safe way home before the festivities begin;
    --Before drinking, please designate a sober driver and give that person your keys;
    --If you’re impaired, use a taxi, call a sober friend or family member, or use public transportation so you are sure to get home safely;
    --If you happen to see a drunk driver on the road, don’t hesitate to contact your local law enforcement;

--Whether you’ve had way too many or just one too many, it’s not worth the risk. Impaired driving has serious consequences.

--The tragedies and costs from drinking and driving impaired do not just end at the potential death, disfigurement, disability and injury caused by impaired drivers.

--Driving with a BAC of .08 or higher is illegal in every state. Yet too many people still ignore the law. According to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report over 1.4 million people were arrested for driving under the influence during 2006.

--Driving impaired or riding with someone who is impaired is not worth the risk. The consequences are serious and real. Not only do you risk killing yourself or someone else, but the trauma and financial costs of a crash or an arrest for driving while impaired can be really significant and not the way you want to celebrate the July 4th holiday.

--People that break the law, often face jail time, the loss of their driver’s license, higher insurance rates, and dozens of other unanticipated expenses from attorney fees, other fines and court costs, car towing and repairs, lost time at work, etc.

--Over the Limit. Under Arrest. This Fourth of July,

--This summer, don’t let your Fourth of July end in an arrest—or even worse, death. Make smart decisions. Plan ahead, so you can assure a safe way home. Whether you’ve had way too many or just one too many, it’s not worth the risk.

--Remember, Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving. Don’t ever get behind a wheel of a vehicle when you are impaired.

For more information, visit www.StopImpairedDriving.org.

Motorcycle Safety Awareness

With warmer weather here, more motorcycles are back out on the road – and the drivers of passenger vehicles need to be alert.

One out of every nine U.S. road fatalities accounted for last year involved motorcycle riders.
The steady increase over the past decade represents one of our Nation’s greatest challenges. All motorists are reminded to safely “Share the Road” with motorcycles and to be extra alert when driving to help keep motorcyclists safe.

Motorcycle fatalities now account for 11% of total road fatalities and have increased each year from a low of 2,116 in 1997 to an all-time high of 4,810 in 2006. So, while there has been continued success in reducing automobile deaths in recent years, this progress is being negated by the rise in motorcycle fatalities, which has more than doubled in one decade.

In a crash, motorcyclists are much more vulnerable than passenger vehicle drivers. Research shows that approximately 80 percent of motorcycle crashes injure or kill a motorcycle rider, while only 20 percent of passenger car crashes injure or kill a driver or passenger in their vehicle. In fact, per vehicle mile traveled in 2006, motorcyclists were 35 times more likely than passenger car occupants to die in a motor vehicle traffic crash.

Motorcyclists have responsibilities, too, by following the rules of the roadway, being alert to other drivers, and always wearing a DOT-compliant helmet and protective gear. All too often after a crash, the drivers of other vehicles involved say they never saw the motorcyclist and were unable to respond in time. This is no excuse when so many crashes are still occurring, and so many lives are being lost. Get involved and take the necessary precautions to help make this the first year in recent years when motorcycle fatalities do not increase. Remember to safely “Share the Road” with motorcycles.

Motorcycles and Alcohol

• Impaired driving is one of America’s most-often-committed and deadliest crimes. Overall in 2006, more than 13,000 people were killed in highway crashes involving a driver or motorcycle operator with an illegal blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher.

• The percentage of legally intoxicated motorcycle riders in fatal crashes is greater than the percentage of legally intoxicated drivers of passenger cars, SUV’s or pick-up trucks. The percentages of drivers with BAC levels .08 g/dL or higher in fatal crashes in 2006 were 27 percent for motorcycle operators, 23 percent for passenger cars, and 24 percent for light trucks. The percentage of drivers with BAC levels .08 g/dL or higher in fatal crashes was the lowest for large trucks (1%).

• Alcohol affects those skills essential to riding a motorcycle—balance and coordination. So it plays a particularly big role in motorcycle fatalities.

• In 2006, 27 percent of all fatally injured motorcycle operators had BAC levels of .08 or higher. An additional 7 percent had lower alcohol levels (BAC .01 to .07).

• Forty-one percent of the 2,007 motorcycle operators who died in single-vehicle crashes in 2006 had BAC levels of .08 or higher.

• Motorcycle operators killed in traffic crashes at night were three times more likely to have BAC levels of .08 g/dL or higher than those killed during the day (43% and 12%, respectively).

• Motorcycle operators age 30 to 49 who are killed in fatal crashes have the highest rates of alcohol involvement.

• Far too many people still don’t understand that alcohol, drugs and motorcycle riding don’t mix. Impaired riding is no accident—nor is it a victimless crime.

• Many motorcyclists believe they only hurt themselves if they are in a crash, but the pain, suffering, and financial costs often extend to family members, friends, employers, insurance companies, and others.

• Riding a motorcycle while impaired is not worth the risk of losing your life, killing an innocent person, ruining your bike or going to jail.

• The consequences of drunk riding are serious and real. The trauma and financial costs of a crash or an arrest for riding while impaired can be significant.

• Violators often face jail time, the loss of their driver’s license, higher insurance rates, and dozens of other unanticipated expenses from attorney fees, other fines and court costs, towing and repairs, lost time at work, etc.

Families in Partnership, Inc.

Libby, Montana