Don’t Drink and Drive

The holiday season offers all of us opportunities for celebration and joyful times with family and friends. Contrasted to this joy is the pain and family agony caused by alcohol-related traffic accidents.

Restaurant operators can reduce this tragedy by endorsing and implementing a designated driver program. The principles are simple:

* Train servers to designate a nondrinking driver in every social group. They can do this by a positive, friendly conversation.

* Train servers to recognize an intoxicated customer and stop serving that person.

* Promote responsible and moderate drinking patterns.

The designated driver program can save lives, reduce liability claims against the establishment and prevent alcohol-related enforcement action against the establishment.

Those who want to officially certify a restaurant as a designated driver location and get an informative workshop presentation for employees can call Officer Tom Souza of LAPD’s Valley Traffic Safety Team at (818) 902-0336.

Anyone can be a designated driver. The lives of friends, family and associates are worth it.

MARK A. KROEKER

Kroeker wrote as deputy Los Angeles police chief and commanding officer of operations, Valley Bureau.