Culturally sensitive police dept APOLOGIZES for drunk driving warning on Cinco de Mayo

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The PC police have bested the actual police.

The Oakland Police Department has issued an apology for warning people not to drink and drive on Cinco de Mayo, a known drinking holiday like New Year’s Eve and St. Patrick’s Day, because people complained it was racist against Mexicans.

“The Oakland Police Department would like to apologize for the recent press release addressing traffic safety enforcement during the Cinco de Mayo holiday. We acknowledge that the language in the message sent was completely insensitive to the cultural holiday, the department wrote. “We have worked extensively to build trust with all our communities and value the amazing cultures that make up the heart of our City. We are taking appropriate steps to insure that this does not happen again. Our intentions were to raise awareness about drunk driving and notify the community of traffic safety during the important holiday. As for every holiday and celebration, we want to remind everyone to celebrate responsibly and safely.”

The act of issuing the apology could be viewed as even more racist than the original press release because it further infers that excessive drinking is an integral part of Mexican culture.

The original press release led as follows.

In the United States, Cinco de Mayo has become synonymous with festive fiestas and salty margaritas. Historically, the fifth of May commemorates Mexico’s 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War, but present-day celebrations often lead to drunk driving—and there’s no victory in that.

The Oakland Police Department is continuing its ongoing efforts to stop and arrest impaired drivers, deploying extra officers on DUI saturation patrols May 5 to lower deaths and injuries. The DUI operation will be operational from 4:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. this coming Thursday.

In the rush of party preparations and getting dressed up for a night out, it’s easy to forget the most important Cinco de Mayo plan of all: designating a sober driver. Some fiesta-goers think they can play it by ear and wait until after the party has started to decide whether they’re “okay to drive.” By this point, it’s too late. Going out for a night of drinking without a plan to get home safely is a recipe for disaster.

Remember: Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving. And when you drive drunk, you run the risk of killing yourself or someone else. You will be looking at jail time, the loss of your driver’s license, higher insurance rates, plus other unanticipated expenses ranging from attorney fees, court costs, car or motorcycle towing and repairs, and lost wages due to time off from work. The average DUI costs about $10,000. Wouldn’t you rather pay for a ride home?

So before your first margarita, cold beer, or shot of tequila this Cinco de Mayo, make sure you have a designated sober driver or arranged another safe way home.

The California Office of Traffic Safety DDVIP (Designated Driver VIP) mobile app is available for free download on iOS and Android devices. The DDVIP app allows users to “Map a Spot” with their current location to find DDVIP partnering establishments in their area or use “List of Spots” to search all participating bars and restaurants throughout California.

Users can stay up-to-date with the latest from DDVIP and see what other users are saying via its social tab. Also through the app, for those who want to imbibe but also make it a point to plan ahead, users can easily order a sober ride from Uber, Lyft or Curb – all from one screen.

Designated sober drivers can use the app to view the profile of the bar they choose and use the “Offer” tab to redeem exclusive deals, with the ability to share the deal with friends on social media. Partnering bars and restaurants throughout the state have volunteered to offer nonalcoholic specialty drinks (“Drinks”), among other perks, to designated sober drivers.

Recent statistics reveal that 30% of drivers in fatal crashes had one or more drugs in their systems. A study of active drivers showed more tested positive for drugs that may impair driving (14%) than did for alcohol (7.3%). Of the drugs, marijuana was most prevalent, at 7.4%, slightly more than alcohol. Everyone should be mindful that if you’re taking medication – whether prescription or over-the-counter – drinking even small amounts of alcohol can greatly intensify the impairment effects.

A final statistic to remember: drunk- or drug-impaired driving deaths are 100-percent preventable.

This enforcement effort is funded by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reminding everyone to “Report Drunk Drivers, Call 911!”

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