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Tuesday, December 09, 2008

You Drink, You Drive, You Lose

UMC-sponsored campaign aims to get impaired drivers off Las Vegas roadways

UMC is co-sponsoring the 7th Annual “You Drink, You Drive, You Lose” event, which will be held on Friday, Dec. 12, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., in the UMC Trauma and Children’s Center parking lot (major cross streets Charleston Blvd. and Shadow Lane). This event is designed to discourage impaired driving and remind everyone that driving under the influence is against the law. The public is welcome to attend.

According to Nevada Highway Patrol data, there have been 279 fatalities from crashes with 99 being alcohol related in the State of Nevada as of November 2008. Also, the State of Nevada Department of Public Safety and the Office of Traffic Safety, a division of the Public Safety Department, report that there have been 260 crashes with 92 of those involving alcohol through November 17, 2008.

“It’s important to raise awareness of the dangers of drunk and drugged driving so everybody remembers this holiday season for the right reasons,” said Clark County Commission Chairman Rory Reid. “The UMC Trauma Center is busy enough without adding even more patients from drunk drivers.”

Clark County Commissioner Lawrence Weekly added, “The tragedy is that impaired drivers split apart families and needlessly change lives forever. The problem of impaired drivers is 100 percent preventable and as a community we have a moral obligation to take a stand to raise awareness.”

Commissioner Weekly is expected to attend the event along with Governor Jim Gibbons and the City of Las Vegas Mayor Oscar B. Goodman. Additionally, Joan Eddowes, whose son Mark was killed by a drunk driver, and Rachel Bunting Marcus, whose son Carlton was critically injured by a drunk driver, will speak.

Several events will demonstrate the effects of impaired driving, including a relay race with participants wearing “fatal vision” goggles, an extrication demonstration by the Heavy Rescue Team, “Every 15 Minutes” demonstrations and the “Convincer,” a simulation of what happens when people involved in motor vehicle collisions do not wear seatbelts.
"You Drink, You Drive, You Lose” is a campaign developed and supported by several entities and agencies, including the UMC Trauma & Children’s Center, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the State of Nevada’s Department of Public Safety and the department’s division, the Office of Traffic Safety, Safe Community Partnership, City of Las Vegas Fire and Rescue, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and the State of Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles.

UMC provides the highest of level of trauma care for children and adults in the State of Nevada. The medical facility provides Nevada’s only Level 2 pediatric trauma care. Regarding adults, the hospital is the state’s only Level 1 trauma center. Also, UMC is the only Level I trauma center in a radius of 1,500 square miles, serving parts of Arizona, California and Utah. UMC’s Trauma Center treats more than 10,000 patients annually with a 99 percent survival rate.

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Editor’s Note: This event provides numerous interview and photo opportunities. We also invite members of the media to participate in the relay race.

Contact Information:
Alma Angeles , Pediatric Trauma Program Manager
(702) 383-2092/204-5683
Alma.Angeles@umcsn.com
University Medical Center
1800 West Charleston Blvd., Las Vegas, NV 89102