South Tahoe officers recognized for DUI enforcement
Mothers Against Drunk Driving and the Office of Traffic Safety recently awarded several Northern California officers for their efforts in reducing the carnage caused by drunken drivers in their respective communities. Among those awarded were South Lake Tahoe Police Officers Justin Brock and Chris Webber.
Sixty-three DUI arrests were made by these two officers in 2010, 35 by Brock and 28 by Webber.
A total of 215 DUI arrests were made by the South Lake Tahoe Police Department last year.
So far this year, 77 drunken drivers have been arrested by South Lake Tahoe police officers.
According to Office of Traffic Safety statistics, there were 30,000 fatalities from drunken driving nationwide in 1980. That number was drastically reduced to 10,839 fatalities by 2009, due in large part to increased law enforcement efforts, and education through organizations such as MAD. Still, on average, another DUI related fatality occurs every 50 seconds on the nation’s roadways.
Of course, increased inforcement has decreased DUI accidents and injuries, but seat belts and air bags are probably responsible for a majority of the reduction in deaths and injuries.
Together they are making a difference in the terrible toll of human carnage.
Another point regarding accuracy in PR releases. Statistically,if you divide one DUI fatality every 50 seconds into the number of seconds in a year you get 630,720 deaths per year. This is only a slight discrepency from the above reported 10,839 deaths in 2009.
Is this the new math or the result of our wonderful,extremely costly public schools that can’t educate no matter how much money you shovel their way?
Samuel Clemens is supposed to have said, “There are lies, damn lies, and statistics.” Take your pick folks.
More likely it should read a fatality occurs every 50 minutes, but good catch on the math. Still, great job by our local PD making the streets safer for everyone. Thank you Officer Brock and Officer Webber.