Drunk driving is a major concern during the holidays, and West Hollywood city officials and representatives of the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station fanned out to local bars, restaurants and nightclubs earlier this week to hand out napkins asking people not to drink and drive, as well as cards with information about taxi and shuttle service options.

A vehicle that was heavily damaged in a DUI collision is being displayed in front of the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station during the holidays as a reminder not to drink and drive. (photo by Edwin Folven)

The annual napkin distribution has been held for the past 13 years, and is only one component of a multi-pronged approach the city and the sheriff’s department uses to combat drunk driving, said Capt. Kelley Fraser, commanding officer for the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station.

“I personally think [the napkin distribution] is effective,” Fraser said. “When you collaborate with local government to educate the community in a positive light, it is effective. If you affect one life, and prevent them from drinking and driving, you have saved a life.”

The cocktail napkin handouts took place on Monday and Tuesday evenings, and will continue on other dates throughout the holidays. In addition, sheriff’s officials meet with the staff at local venues to remind them about the dangers of over-serving, and to inform them about safe alternatives to driving for their customers.

This week, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released a report stating that alcohol-related fatalities had dropped to a record low in California in 2010, from 791 last year compared to 924 in 2009. The NHTSA largely credited the decreases to sobriety checkpoints and an increase in public awareness about the dangers of drinking and driving.

Fraser said although West Hollywood officials rarely conduct sobriety checkpoints, patrol deputies are proactively searching for drunk drivers. She added that a checkpoint held last summer yielded few violations, and that coupling education campaigns with aggressive enforcement is a more affective approach.

“We did a checkpoint on San Vicente south of Melrose last summer, and we had minimal arrests,” Fraser added. “We are not doing any checkpoints this year, but that doesn’t mean we are not out there looking for them (drunk drivers).”

Lt. Dave Smith, with the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station, said drunk driving arrests are up significantly in the city in 2011, and he credited an aggressive approach by patrol deputies. So far this year, there have been 270 arrests for driving under the influence, compared to 196 for the same period in 2010. Smith added that there have been 87 alcohol-related collisions this year compared to 86 in 2010, and there have been no fatalities.

“We have a couple of really aggressive deputies who like doing the enforcement. They take their job really seriously, and they are very good at it,” Smith said. “We aren’t doing the checkpoints and have opted for aggressive patrols instead, but it starts with aggressive deterrence at the clubs. It’s all about education.”

The Los Angeles Police Department also conducts aggressive DUI patrols, and couples them with sobriety checkpoints. LAPD spokesperson Bruce Borihanh said upcoming checkpoints are currently being scheduled, and added they are a significant deterrent to drunk driving.

“The last [checkpoint] we had was on Dec. 12, and we are going to be holding them during the holidays. The holidays are the time of the year for celebration, and people sometimes take the celebration to another level. DUIs are the cause of a majority of injuries we see in collisions on the streets,” Borihanh added. “Checkpoints are a very effective enforcement tool. We have found that accident drop by twenty percent when people know about the checkpoints.”

State law requires law enforcement agencies to notify the public about the locations and times of sobriety checkpoints, and Borihanh said they are listed at www.lapdonline.org 72-hours before they are held.

In addition to the napkin distribution in West Hollywood, officials also handed out wallet-size cards with phone numbers for taxi companies and the “Tipsy Tow” program, where AAA provides two trucks that take intoxicated drivers and their vehicle home on Dec. 31 and Jan. 1. The city will also operate a holiday shuttle service on Dec. 29 through 31 from 8 p.m. to 3 a.m. For information, call (323)848-6414, or visit www.weho.org.