SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Known for sandy beaches, warm waters and tropical drinks, San Diego’s Pacific Beach is one of the most popular party destinations for college students and young military in Southern California. The Spring Break Kick-Off media event highlighted safe partying practices and reminded area residents and students to plan ahead during their well-deserved spring break.
Safety should be high on the list for any student or resident planning to spend time in popular Spring Break party spots.
“Last year, there were 485 DUI related arrests in the greater San Diego area during the 8 weeks of Spring Break. This year, we've added 10 DUI check points and 9 traffic enforcement details in an aggressive attempt to keep the roads safe," said Captain Lori Luhnow of the San Diego Police Department.
Students and representatives from local San Diego colleges were present at the event, hosted by the Pacific Beach Shore Club. Representatives shared their school’s favorite tips for having fun while staying safe during the eight week-long event that’s known for risky behavior and particularly high DUI arrest rates.
Billy Ramirez, the owner of the Pacific Beach Shore Club, welcomed visitors to stop by while celebrating, "PB Shore club welcomes students, military, locals and non locals to come out, have fun and be responsible during spring break."
Event speakers also encouraged patrons to earn free incentives from among the 90 partnering RADD Rewards bars and restaurants in San Diego’s most popular beach and nightlife destinations, by simply becoming a designated driver. Residents and guests alike were urged to make a transportation plan prior to celebrating in the city’s many hospitality zones in order to get themselves and friends home safely.
“Take turns being the designated driver, share a taxi cab, get a room, or crash on a friend’s couch; there are many options to avoid driving drunk if you make a plan ahead of time,” said Erin Dugan Meluso, President, RADD International.
Local college and university students showed their school spirit by wearing RADD crew t-shirts and school colors.
Event activities included the reveal of the long awaited “RADD Designated Driver Reserved Parking Signs” showing Pacific Beach merchants’ commitment and dedication to road safety and RADD’s alternate transportation and designated driver program. Look for the RADD signs at PB Shore Club, Miller’s Field, PB Bar & Grill, Typhoon, and Tavern at the Beach.
For a list of safety tips from RADD, the City of San Diego and local RADD campus partners that includes Road Safety, Alcohol Consumption, Sun Safety, Dehydration, popular Social Media mistakes and many others, please visit http://collegeisradd.org/tips
The event that was held at 11:00 am on February 27, at the Pacific Beach Shore Club, was co-hosted by the RADD-OTS San Diego DUI Hospitality Task Force – a partnership between RADD, the entertainment industry’s voice for road safety, the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) and San Diego’s civic, business, transportation, and law enforcement leaders. Popular announcer Jeff Krapf served as emcee.
RADD manages the RADD-OTS SD Hospitality DUI Task Force as well as California’s statewide hospitality alliance, the RADD California Coalition with funding from OTS and support from Toyota Motor Sales, USA. The RADD Program is produced in partnership with the University of California, Irvine, under the CA College DUI Awareness Project. Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
For more information regarding the RADD-OTS SD HOSPITALITY DUI TASK FORCE please visit www.collegeisradd.org and www.OTS.ca.gov. For a list of RADD Rewards Partners in the San Diego Area, please visit http://collegeisradd.org/rewards-partners/san-diego-california/
