Police: Grant Will Help Keep Roadways Safe

Sixty-one people were hurt--and one person was killed -- in Newport Beach last year due to alcohol-related accidents. Police say a new traffic safety grant will help keep those statistics from rising.

The $242,399 grant was awarded to the Newport Beach Police Department by the California Office of Traffic Safety. Kathy Lowe, police spokeswoman, says in 2011 there were 144 DUI related crashes in the city, but with the new funding the department is working to keep the roadways safe for motorists.

"Removing impaired drivers from the street has been and will continue to be a priority," Lowe said.

Lowe says the grant will allow for extra resources to be used to combat alcohol and drug related crashes and to enforce speeding and red light violators through DUI/Driver’s license checkpoints and saturation patrols throughout the city. It will also help educate the community about the dangers of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Across the country drunk driving is one of the deadliest crimes. In 2010, over 10,228 people died in crashes involving a driver or motorcycle operator with a blood alcohol concentration of .08 or higher, drugs, or a combination of both. The OTS reports that amounts to nearly 30 people killed in alcohol-related crashes each and every day.  

Christopher J. Murphy, OTS director, says continuous anti-DUI campaigns are essential because "far too many are still losing their lives or being severely injured on our roadways."