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Santa Barbara Police Launch New Program To Combat Drinking and Driving

Santa Barbara Police launched a new educational program to combat drinking and driving.

Santa Barbara is one of the most dangerous places for drivers in the state.

“For cities our size in population, miles driven and other factors, we rank number one in alcohol related collisions. That’s not the ranking that you want,” said Sgt. Michael Brown.

The program is called “Know Your Limit,” and is modeled after a program that started in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Officers will visit bars and restaurants in downtown Santa Barbara during weekend evenings.

The hope is to interact with people in a positive way, educating them on the effects of alcohol on the body and the dangers of driving.

“We are going to try to make this a fun experience. This kind of opens up the officer to talk to people in a non-threatening way,” Brown said.

People will also have the opportunity to test their alcohol levels on a screening device.

Most businesses are on board with the program.

“I think there are mixed feelings. I had a meeting with some of the bar owners in town. They are collaborating with us on this. They are cooperating with us we are cooperating with them. We will come to a mutual agreement on how this will work inside their establishments,” Brown said.

Funding for the Know Your Limit program is provided to Santa Barbara Police Department by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The grant runs out in September.

Watch NewsChannel 3 Extended Raw Footage of SBPD’s “Know Your Limit” Story

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