Marin DUI Checkpoint, Patrols Planned for Super Bowl Weekend

Marin’s Avoid the 13 DUI Task Force has several plans to crackdown on impaired drivers this weekend, including when thousands in the Bay Area are expected to be cheering on the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII. 

The enforcement includes:

• A DUI and driver’s license checkpoint set for Friday, Feb. 1 in San Rafael from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. The location has not been announced yet.
• DUI saturation patrols in San Rafael on Saturday, Feb. 2, beginning at 6 p.m.
• A “strike team” of roving patrols throughout Marin County, specifically on the lookout for drunk and impaired drivers on Sunday, Feb. 3, from 5 p.m. to midnight

The Marin task force teamed up with the California Office of Traffic Safety, along with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, National Football League and Techniques for Effective Alcohol Management for patrols.

Tips from the police for the weekend:

• Designate your sober driver before the party begins.
• Avoid drinking too much alcohol too fast. Pace yourself. Eat plenty of food, take breaks, and alternate with non-alcoholic drinks.
• If you don’t have a designated driver, ask a sober friend for a ride home; call a cab, friend, or family member to come and get you; or, if possible, stay where you are for the night and don’t drive until you are sober.
• Never let friends drive drunk. Arrange a safe way for them to get home.
• Always buckle up. It’s still your best defense against other drunk drivers.

And tips for Super Bowl party hosts:

• Make sure all of your guests designate their sober drivers in advance, or help arrange ride- sharing with sober drivers.
• Serve plenty of food and non-alcoholic beverages at the party.
• Host your party just like they do at the stadium. Stop serving alcohol at the end of the third quarter of the game. The fourth quarter is perfect for serving coffee and dessert.
• Keep the phone numbers of local cab companies on hand and take the keys away from anyone who is thinking of driving drunk.
• Remember, you can be held liable and prosecuted if someone you served ends up in a drunk-driving crash.
• If an underage person drinks and drives, the parent may be legally liable for any damage, injury or death caused by the underage driver.
• Likewise, parents or other adults who provide alcohol to, or host a party where alcohol is available to, those under age 21 could face jail time.

The police ask everyone to report drunk drivers by calling 911.