Crashed car to raise awareness about DUIs

COEUR d'ALENE — The consequences of an impaired driving crash will be on display Friday, March 18, and Saturday, March 19, in Coeur d’Alene.

Schaffer’s Towing will transport a crashed car around the area to help raise awareness about making safe choices when celebrations and activities involve drinking.

The tow truck operator’s flatbed truck will travel around Coeur d’Alene, displaying a crashed vehicle with signs on each side of the bed encouraging and reminding local motorists to drive sober. The crashed car will be towed from 3 to 10 p.m. on March 18 and from 5 p.m. to 1 p.m. on March 19 and be in front of bars and other businesses downtown, on Appleway, Fourth Street and U.S. 95.

"It will pretty much hit all of the city at night," said Shane Westwood of DaviesMoore, a Boise marketing agency. "Basically being as visible as possible and stopping and parking here or there as it makes sense to get as much visibility as possible."

Mary Burke, with the Idaho Transportation Department’s Office of Highway Safety added: "This campaign will help people to visualize the dangers of impaired drinking or any unsafe driving behavior."

Statewide, a St. Patrick’s Day high-visibility education and enforcement campaign targeting impaired driving will be held Saturday through March 20.

ITD’s Office of Highway Safety works to reduce deaths and serious injuries from traffic crashes by discouraging dangerous driving behaviors through education activities and supporting law enforcement campaigns.

Burke encourages people to always have a plan if activities involve drinking:

• Whenever alcohol will be consumed, designate a sober driver before going out and give that person the car keys.

• If impaired, call a taxi, sober friend or family member to get home safely.

• Use available sober rides programs.

• Promptly report drunk drivers seen on roadways to law enforcement.

• Wear a seat belt if in a car or a helmet if on a motorcycle. It is the only defense in a crash caused by an impaired driver.

"Driving any vehicle — including a motorcycle — when ‘buzzed’ or drunk is wrong and not worth the risk," Burke said. "Not only do you risk killing yourself or someone else, but the trauma and financial costs of a crash or an arrest for impaired driving are significant."

Violators face jail time, loss of their driver’s license, higher insurance rates, attorney fees, unpaid time away from work and other expenses.