Mothers Against Drunk Driving Event

Police officers Aaron O�Donley and Frank Rosas attended the Mothers Against Drunk Driving event on Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2010. The event was in conjunction with Texas Department of Transportation to kick off an anti drunk driving campaign. The campaign is appropriately called "Take the Wheel."

Officer O�Donley and Officer Rosas attended the event to support the program and also show support for the family and friends of the victims of drunk driving incidents. Unfortunately, Harris county (where UH is located) has the most drunk driving related deaths of any other county in the United States. For the University of Houston Department of Public Safety, this is all the more reason to be actively involved in the program. Because of the public involvement, there has been a 30 percent reduction in drunk driving related deaths since 2006.

As part of the �Take the Wheel� campaign, the MADD organization presented 188 rosemary trees. Those 188 trees represent the number of individuals who fell victim to a drunk driving accident within Harris County in 2010. Police officers and supporters were asked to take a tree while taking a pledge to share that tree with their representative communities and ask them all to help prevent drunk driving during the holiday season. The two trees the University of Houston Department of Public Safety received will be planted outside of their building so that they can be shared and enjoyed but also serve as a reminder not to drink and drive.

The Department of Public Safety reminds all members of the community to not drink and drive. Be observant while driving and remember to stop family and friends from driving if they have had too much to drink.