Super Bowl Sunday Brings DUI Checkpoint to Buena Park, Roving Anti-Boozer Patrols Throughout OC

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Buena Park Police Department checks its coverages with a Super Bowl Sunday sobriety checkpoint.

Check after the jump for the location and times vehicles will be stopped in an effort to remove the boozed and unlicensed off the roads.
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It's from 6 p.m. Sunday to 2 a.m. Monday at 6640 Beach Blvd., right in front of the Buena Park City Hall complex.

Consider that your warning, Mr. Mayor.

“Neon Deion,” lit.

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Officers who suspect His Honor or anyone else passing through is drunk will subject that shaky person to a field sobriety test. Those who fail the test face jail, fines, DUI classes, license suspension, court appearances, vehicle-storage fees and higher car-insurance rates. It's been calculated one such infraction can set a driver back $10,000.

The Buena Park operation, like others in Orange County, is funded by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. (Speaking of others in Orange County, know of any? Leave details in our comment section or shoot me an e-mail, which I'll answer if I'm not in a bar.)

I do know this: Management (TEAM) Coalition, a multi-agency task force that is part of the Orange County Sheriff's Department-administered “Avoid the 38” campaign, is promising the deployment of “special roving DUI patrols in several communities” on Super Bowl Sunday.

“We're reminding everyone that real Super Bowl fans don't let fans drive drunk,” says Sergeant Mark Daigle of the Sheriff Department's Traffic Bureau. (And, yes, he does speak in italics.) “We want everyone to make the right decision for the Super Bowl. Having a designated sober driver should be an obvious part of everyone's celebration.”

To that end, his agency has released the following tips to anyone hosting a Super Bowl party:

• Make sure all of your guests designate sober drivers before kick-off or help arrange ride-sharing with other sober drivers;

• Give them a great spot to watch the game;

• Make sure their cars are easy to access when it is time to start driving people home;

• Serve plenty of food;

• Offer a variety of non-alcoholic choices like non-alcoholic beers, soft drinks, juice and water;

• Serve one drink at a time and serve measured drinks;

• Only serve alcohol to guests over 21 years of age;

• Determine ahead of time when you'll stop serving alcohol, such as one hour before the end of the party or at the end of the third quarter of the game (just like NFL stadiums), and at that time, begin serving coffee and dessert;

• Add the numbers of local cab companies into your phone so they are just a touch away;

• And take appropriate steps to prevent anyone from driving while impaired.

Meanwhile, there are these recommendations for anyone attending a Super Bowl party or watching the game in a sports bar or restaurant:

• Designate your sober driver before the party begins, and leave your car keys at home if you plan to drink;

• Before you go out, add the numbers for local cab companies to your cell phone so if you find yourself in need of a ride, it is just a touch away;

• Avoid drinking too much alcohol too fast. Pace yourself–eat enough food, take breaks and alternate with non-alcoholic drinks;

• Take appropriate steps to prevent anyone from driving while impaired. Remember, Fans Don't Let Fans Drive Drunk;

• Always buckle up–it's your best defense on the road;

• And, for more information, please visit FansDontLetFansDriveDrunk.org, or CaliforniaAvoid.org, or NHTSA.gov/Impaired.