Press Releases
Montgomery County Departments of Liquor Control and Police Introduce “I Take It Personally;” Public Awareness Campaign to Prevent Drunk Driving and Patron Over-Consumption
For Immediate Release: Wednesday, June 28, 2017
In an effort to help prevent drunk driving and encourage patron responsibility, the Montgomery County Department of Liquor Control (DLC) and the Montgomery County Department of Police are launching a public awareness campaign titled, “I Take It Personally.” The campaign is designed to encourage community members and retail establishments in the community to do what they can to limit alcohol over-consumption and commercial establishment over-service, as well as confirm the commitment of public safety officers to enforce drunk driving laws.
Speaking at the event were: County Councilmembers Marc Elrich and Sidney Katz, Director of the Department of Liquor Control Robert Dorfman, Director of the Montgomery County Department of Police Traffic Division Thomas Didone, AAA Mid-Atlantic’s Manager of Public and Government Affairs John B. Townsend II, and Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) State Program Director Lisa Spicknall.
“The Montgomery County Department of Liquor Control encourages anyone consuming alcohol to plan a safe ride home,” said Robert Dorfman, Director of the Department of Liquor Control. “Drunk driving and over- service and over-consumption by individuals are preventable community issues. It’s up to all of us to make the right choices to keep our community safe.”
The campaign will include messaging on busses, bus shelters, and within the 27 County liquor stores and private establishments serving alcohol over the summer months, through September 2017. Police Officer-themed fliers will also be distributed in retail establishments, law enforcement agencies, and other County public facilities such as libraries, recreation centers, and Regional Services Centers.
“We see an increase in drunk driving during the summer months because there are all kinds of casual get-togethers, outdoor entertaining and unwinding on vacation,” said Captain Didone. “Our Traffic Division is taking a data-driven approach and using what the data tells us to plan our enforcement efforts. So, if you don’t have a plan for a safe ride home, we do! And every officer involved in alcohol enforcement takes that responsibility personally.”
This new effort continues a safe ride partnership program that the Department of Liquor Control coordinated during the winter holiday, but now puts a focus on personal accountability and awareness to prevent alcohol misuse throughout Montgomery County.
“This year, 2.8 million persons from Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia combined will travel by automobile to their Fourth of July holiday destinations, including 809,000 persons from Maryland and 968,000 from Washington, D.C.,” said John B. Townsend II, Manager of Public and Government Affairs, AAA Mid-Atlantic. “The sheer volume of highway travelers during this holiday period underscores why it is deemed one of the deadliest times of the year to be driving on the road. Compounding this tragedy, nearly half of all deadly crashes on the Fourth of July are caused by someone driving under the influence of alcohol, according to 25 years of NHTSA data.”
“The SoberRide program is offering free Lyft rides, up to $15, for the first 1500 patrons to use the code SOBERJULY4 within the Washington-Metro area over the July 4th holiday. SoberRide will run from 7 p.m. on Tuesday, July 4th to 2 a.m. the next morning. You must be 21 or over to qualify.
The I Take It Personally campaign includes a partnership with local transportation services, Dryver and Lyft, to provide reduced-cost safe rides for the rest of the summer, via smart phone mobile apps using the code MOCODLC.
The Dryver program, the nation’s largest designated driver service, is an alternative transportation service that provides professional drivers to drive your vehicle for you. Dryver allows you to ride in your own car while leaving the driving to a professional. Fully-screened and fully-insured, Dryver’s employees have more than 10 years of driving experience and arrive dressed in professional attire. Hourly personal driver services range from $14-$19.50 an hour (depending on location) and car pickup services are $25 plus mileage. Dryver offers an affordable solution for enjoying a night out or getting a ride home for yourself and your car. Dryver is offering $20 off towards a first-time use of their designated driver service.
Lyft, a reliable taxi-type service that allows rides to be requested on demand, is offering $5 off the first three rides.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that every day 28 people in the United States die in an alcohol-related vehicle crash. That’s one person every 53 minutes. The chances of being in an alcohol-impaired crash is one in three over a lifetime. These deaths and damages contribute to a cost of 52 billion dollars per year.
The I Take It Personally campaign is funded by a grant from the National Alcohol Beverage Control Association (NABCA).
See photos of the I Take It Personally signage and launch event at: https://flic.kr/s/aHskY5YBxN
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Media Contact: Emily DeTitta, DLC 240-777-1904, Lucille Baur 240-777-6547