BRAZOS VALLEY, TX — Heading into Super Bowl weekend, the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), is partnering up with the following Brazos Valley agencies to prevent drunk-driving.
These agencies include:
- Bryan Police Department
- College Station Police Department
- Texas A&M University Police Department
- Texas Highway Patrol
- Brazos County Sheriff's Office
- Brazos County Attorney's Office
- Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Watch UR BAC project
These seven partners held a joint news conference on Feb 3., sharing their message about the dangers of drunk driving this upcoming Super Bowl weekend.
Anticipating said accidents, local law enforcement will partake in a highly-visible national enforcement campaign, Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.
During this time, zero tolerance for drunk driving, paired with added officer enforcement on the road, aim to drastically cut down accidents and put an end to this lethal pairing.
According to NHTSA, 10,511 people were killed in drunk-driving related crashes in 2018. On average, more than 10,000 people were killed each year from 2014 to 2018 — one person was killed in a drunk-driving crash every 50 minutes in 2018.
"The Super Bowl should be an enjoyable time for our community members, not a marker for the death of a loved one due to a drunk-driving crash," said Bryan Police Chief Eric Buske. "We need commitment from our community members that they'll keep the roads free of drunk drivers so that everyone can have a safe weekend. This is a campaign to get the message out that drunk driving is illegal and it takes lives. Help us put an end to this senseless behavior," Chief Buske added.
Local law enforcement wants to remind people, that the last Super Bowl weekend, was one of the worst weekends of traffic crashes involving a drunk driver in Texas. Additionally, aside from just alcohol, that driving under any other drug, " is deadly, illegal, and selfish behavior.", their statement reads.
"Drunk driving is not acceptable behavior," said Chief Buske. "It is essential to plan a sober ride home before you ever leave for the party. That's why, during the Super Bowl weekend, we will make zero exceptions and arrest all drunk drivers. There are just no excuses," he said.
Brazos County's Law Enforcement Agencies recommends the following safe alternatives to drinking and driving:
• Remember that it is never okay to drink and drive. Even if you've had only one alcoholic beverage, designate a sober driver or plan to use a ride-share pr taxi service to get home safely.
• Do you have a friend who is about to drink and drive? Take the keys away and make arrangements to get your friend home safely.
• If you see a suspected drunk driver on the road, call 911.
In any emergency, call 911. When you see suspicious activity, immediately contact any of the following:
• (979) 764-3600 for the College Station Police Department
• (979) 845-2345 for the Texas A&M University Police Department
• (979) 361-3888 for the Bryan Police Department or Brazos County Sheriff's Office
• (979) 776-3188 for Texas Highway Patrol
• (979) 845-2345 for Texas A&M University Police Department
Together, we all can make a difference in our Brazos Valley community.