Cedar Park Police STEP Up To Combat Against Drunk Driving This Holiday Season

CEDAR PARK, TX — The Cedar Park Police Department will STEP up its efforts to curb drunk driving on the roadways during the holiday season through the rest of December, officials said.

The Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP) Holiday Initiative runs from Thursday, Dec. 15 until Jan. 1, 2017, police said. The focus of the effort will be on enforcement of speeding laws and curbing the level of impaired drivers on the roadway.

The Christmas holiday season represents a time of year where there is an uptick in drunk driving. According to Texas Department of Transportation officials, there were 2,374 alcohol-related traffic crashes throughout the state, resulting in 102 fatalities and 205 serious injuries during the 2015-16 holiday season from Dec. 1, 2015 to Jan. 1, 2016.

The numbers were significant, though slightly less than the previous season. From 2014-15 comparable period, there were 2,417 alcohol-related traffic crashes in Texas, yielding 112 fatalisties and 192 serious injuries.
The drop represents a 9 percent decrease, TxDot officials noted.
"We want to continue this trend," officials wrote on their website. "Texans can help make the holidays merry and bright all season long by remembering to make a plan to get home safely before the festivities begin."
A specialized web portal titled SoberRides.org was established to ensure people arrive to their destination safely, eliminating the option of driving while intoxicated. The site helps plan rides home before the holiday parties begin to avoid, short of tragedy, fines of up to $17,000 and loss of driver's license.

To those needing reminders not to drive drunk, TxDot has issued a series of public service announcements, including this one:

"Give the gift of safety this holiday season," Cedar Park Police ask residents. "Drive sober so we can all Arrive Alive."

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