Kent Police will throw a spotlight Saturday, April 7 on the role liquor serving establishments play in keeping drunk drivers off the road.
Local, county and state law enforcement officers will team up to conduct a DUI emphasis throughout South King County, according to a Kent Police media release. Within an hour of a DUI arrest, additional officers, including officers from the Washington State Liquor Control Board, will make educational visits to bars.
Launched in Pierce County in the summer of 2011, the Home Safe Bar program aims to raise awareness about how servers and bartenders can help reduce the number of impaired drivers on King County’s roadways. The program helps to educate bar owners on how to avoid costly litigation related to death or injury caused by patron that are served too much alcohol.
“As part of the statewide Target Zero Teams initiative, police officers from Auburn, Federal Way, Kent and Renton regularly participate in weekly DUI emphasis patrols” said Kent Police traffic Sgt. Robert Constant. “On April 7th, we will be adding the extra step of educating bar owners, managers, and servers that they have a responsibility too. Do not over-serve customers and if there are customers over the limit, help them get a safe ride home; a taxi, a bus, or have a sober ride pick them up.”
The multi-agency bar program is funded by the Washington Traffic Safety Commission and is part of an ongoing partnership between law enforcement, public health, and the community to reach the Washington State Target Zero goal of eliminating all fatal and serious injury crashes by 2030.
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