Local Police and MADD Pushes to Eliminate Drunk Driving Accidents in Modesto
The Modesto Police Department will be deploying a number of DUI saturation patrols throughout the month of December in an attempt to bust drunk drivers. The DUI patrols are a part of the city's continuing efforts to reduce the risks of drunk driving accidents in Modesto. With the holiday season upon us, motorists are expected to travel throughout the state to gather with friends and family members. Unfortunately, many of these holidays will involve alcohol beverages and many drivers will fail to arrange a safe way home, endangering everyone on our roadways.

The Department says it began enforcing its "Zero Tolerance" policy during the first two weeks of December, setting up patrols on the 2nd, 3rd, 9th and 10th. Officers will be looking for those who fail to designate a sober driver and who choose to endanger innocent motorists on our roadways.
Our Modesto drunk driving accident attorneys understand that there were 10 people killed and another 400 people injured because of drunk driving accidents in the city over the last three years. As we enter the holiday season the number of drunk driving accidents are expected to skyrocket. We're asking all drivers to party safely and to drive soberly through this holiday season.
The Modesto Police Department isn't the only organization out pushing for safe and sober roadways through the holiday season, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) is celebrating the fifth anniversary of its Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving.
For its fifth anniversary, the organization has released a new report that looks at each state's efforts to reduce the risks of drunk driving. Each state was rated out of five stars. The country overall ranked in at three out of five stars. That's not an excellent rating for combating some of the deadliest types of accidents on our roadways.
California was ranked with four out of five stars. Our state was recognized for starting our pilot program for interlock devices. While the pilot program only took place in four counties, covering 13 million people, the program should be expanded statewide, says the report. The report also suggested that our state consider toughening up the child endangerment law. This is the law that lists the punishments for drunk driving with a child in the vehicle.
"Drunk driving is still the deadliest epidemic on America's roads, killing approximately 11,000 people every year," said Ray LaHood with USDOT.
Drunk driving accidents cost the state more than $130 billion every year.
The $132 billion consists of:
-More than $60 billion in monetary costs.
-More than $70 billion in quality-of-life losses.
-The federal government dished out almost $5 billion of the costs.
-Local and state governments covered re than $3 billion of the costs.
-Employers contributed nearly $11 billion to the bill, which included nearly $4 billion for accidents that involved work trips and roughly $7 billion for accidents that happened outside of work involving employees and benefit-eligible dependents.
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