September 1, 2023

As the summer travel season wraps up, the Garden Grove Police Department reminds drivers to stay safe and be responsible by never driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.

“The community’s well-being is our top priority, so we’re asking that if you know you’ll be out drinking, have a game plan for how to get home safely,” Garden Grove Police Chief Amir El-Farra said. “There is never a good excuse for driving after drinking or using drugs that impair.”

The Garden Grove Police Department asks residents to take the necessary precautions to protect themselves and their families by buckling up, avoiding distractions behind the wheel, following the speed limit, and not driving impaired.

To help keep our community safe, the Garden Grove Police Department will have additional officers on patrol from August 16 through Labor Day, September 4, looking for drivers suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. The additional efforts to prevent impaired driving are part of a national enforcement campaign, Driver Sober or Get Pulled Over.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 13,384 people were killed in drunk-driving crashes in 2021 — one person every 39 minutes.

While drunk driving is a significant traffic safety problem, driving while impaired is not just from alcohol. Prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, and cannabis products may also impair. If you plan on drinking or taking medications with a driving warning label, let someone sober drive. If you see someone driving impaired, call 9-1-1.

Share your thoughts about impaired driving by participating in the Go Safely Movement, a call-to-action traffic safety survey from the California Office of Traffic Safety. Take the survey at gosafelyca.org.

Funding for this program is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.