College DUI Awareness Project funded for fourth year

The California College DUI Awareness Project, designed to raise awareness about the dangers of drunk driving and reward designated drivers, will continue for a fourth year at UCI, thanks to a $344,000 grant renewal from the California Office of Traffic Safety, via federal funding from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. UCI’s Health Education Center and its partner, RADD – the entertainment industry’s voice for road safety – will continue to expand the project. The goal is to combine environmental, marketing and educational strategies to reduce alcohol-related motor vehicle deaths and injuries among people 18 to 34 years old. RADD’s Designated Driver Rewards Program recruits local bars and restaurants to provide incentives to designated drivers, such as free nonalcoholic beverages and appetizers. The program, which currently involves 16 college campuses across the state (with a goal of reaching 20 campuses), has been renewed through September 2013. The participating campuses are responsible for promoting the RADD Designated Driver Rewards Program to students through outreach efforts and community events. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recently lauded RADD’s work in a report showing that DUI deaths in California had declined from 950 in 2009 to a record low of 791 in 2010.