High-visibility DUI patrols coming to Delaware over next month

By Craig Anderson

Thursday through March 19, an increased number of high-visibility DUI patrols will be utilized in connection with Super Bowl weekend through St. Patrick’s Day celebrations.

The Delaware Office of Highway Safety announced the campaign this week and will partner with the Delaware State Police to execute the initiative.

The office said there were 1,175 crashes, 103 serious injuries and 4,655 arrests involving impaired driving in Delaware in 2022. There were 72 impaired-driving arrests over Super Bowl weekend, Feb. 10-14 of last year.

Nationally, there were 11,654 people killed in drunk-driving crashes in 2020.

“Impaired driving continues to impact our community and cause preventable tragedies on Delaware roadways,” said Delaware Department of Safety and Homeland Security Secretary Nathaniel McQueen Jr. “In collaboration with our Highway Safety partners, we are committed to using all available resources to put a stop to impaired driving on our roads.

“Through the continuation of strong partnerships, we will work together to bring education, awareness and high visibility enforcement to change these dangerous behaviors.”

Highway Safety director Kimberly Chesser added, “We want our community members to enjoy Super Bowl festivities, but we also want to remind drivers that they have a personal responsibility to keep everyone safe on our roads. If you’re going out to a Super Bowl party and you plan to drink alcohol, make sure you plan to have a designated driver. There are many options available to get you home safely, such as using a rideshare service, taxi, public transportation, or plan to have a sober friend or family member take you home.”

The Office of Highway Safety offered the following tips:

• Remember that it is never OK to drink and drive. Even if you’ve had only one alcoholic beverage, designate a sober driver or plan to use a ride service, call a taxi or ask a sober friend to get you home safely.
• Make sure your designated driver is sober. If he or she decides to drink unexpectedly, call a sober ride.
• When you ride home with your sober driver, make sure you — and your driver — wear seat belts.
• If you have a friend who is about to drive under the influence, take the keys and make arrangements to get him or her home safely.
• Super Bowl party hosts should make sure guests have a sober ride home, so ask guests to designate sober drivers in advance; encourage drinking guests to pace themselves, eat food and drink plenty of water; and serve a selection of nonalcoholic drinks.