Chain | Cohn | Clark joins Bakersfield Police in fight to end DUIs, distracted driving

For years, Chain | Cohn | Clark has been fighting to end drunk driving in Kern County, while also raising awareness of the dangers of distracted driving, and advocating for bicycle and pedestrian safety locally.

And with news that the Bakersfield Police Department was awarded a $415,000 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety for a year-long program, in part, for these same causes, the streets of Bakersfield may be getting safer.

Recently, local media highlighted the new grant that will fund educational presentations, DUI checkpoints, bicycle and pedestrian safety enforcement, distracted driving enforcement and seat belt child safety seat enforcement, and more.

“The Bakersfield Police Department is committed to ensuring traffic safety on city roadways,” said Bakersfield Police Chief Greg Williamson in a news release.

So, too, is the Bakersfield-based accident, injury and workers’ compensation law firm Chain | Cohn | Clark, in partnership with Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Kern County.

In fact, Chain | Cohn | Clark Director of Marketing and Public Relations Jorge Barrientos spoke with media about grant, and what it means for MADD Kern County. Chain | Cohn | Clark is a strong and active supporter of MADD Kern County, and deeply involved in the fight against drunk driving in our community. Barrientos serves as the planning committee chairman for MADD Kern County’s annual fundraising and awareness event. And attorney Matt Clark is a member of the MADD Kern County Advisory Board.

“Currently we are seeing about 12 DUI arrests per day,” Barrientos told Eyewitness News. “That’s more than 4,000 a year. And, that’s just the people that are getting caught … We do know for a fact that a lot of people that are getting caught have been caught before … It’s a 100 percent preventable crime. You don’t have to get behind the wheel after you have a drink.”

• Educational presentations
• DUI checkpoints
• DUI saturation patrols
• Bicycle and pedestrian safety enforcement
• Motorcycle safety enforcement
• Distracted driving enforcement
• Seat belt and child safety seat enforcement
• Speed, red light, and stop sign enforcement
• Warrant service operations targeting multiple DUI offenders
• Compilation of DUI “Hot Sheets,” identifying worst-of-the-worst DUI offenders
• Specialized DUI and drugged driving training such as Standardized Field Sobriety Testing, Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement, and Drug Recognition Evaluator
• Court “sting” operations to cite individuals driving from DUI court after ignoring their license suspension or revocation
• Stakeout operations to observe the “worst-of-the-worst” repeat DUI offender probationers with suspended or revoked driver licenses

In September this year, Kern County came together for the third Walk Like MADD & MADD Dash 5K at the Park at River Walk, called for an end of drunk driving, and raised more than $62,000 in the process to fight against drinking and driving locally.

The 2016 Bakersfield Walk Like MADD and MADD Dash – presented by Chain | Cohn | Clark – aimed to raise awareness of the DUI problem in our local communities, raise funds to stop drunken driving locally, and provide support to local victims and survivors of drunken driving crashes. Since 2014, the annual Walk Like MADD & MADD Dash 5K has raised more than $160,000.

Chain | Cohn | Clark recently has also partnered with Bike Bakersfield, a local nonprofit bicycle advocacy group, to give out free safety helmets and bike safety lights.

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If you or someone you know is injured in a car accident, bicycle accident or pedestrian accident at the fault of someone else, contact our Bakersfield law firm at (661) 323-4000.

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GRANT MEDIA COVERAGE

• Bakersfield Police Department awarded grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (KERO-23, ABC – Oct. 5, 2016)
• Bakersfield police get $415,000 grant to help prevent traffic-related deaths (KBAK-29, CBS – Oct. 5, 2016)
• BPD receives $415,000 traffic safety grant (The Bakersfield Californian – Oct. 5, 2016)

WALK LIKE MADD & MADD DASH 5K MEDIA COVERAGE

• Kern County calls for end of drunk driving in 2016 ‘Walk Like MADD’, presented by Chain | Cohn | Clark (Blogging for Justice – Sept. 28, 2016)
• Walk to support DUI victims raises $62K (The Bakersfield Californian – Sept. 24, 2016)
• Community raises $62,000 for MADD at 5k race (Eyewitness News – Sept. 24, 2016)
• I can’t help myself: I’m psyched for MADD race (The Bakersfield Californian – Sept. 17, 2016) (online version)
• 3rd Annual ‘Walk Like MADD and MADD Dash’ 5k run (KERO-23, ABC – Sept. 24, 2016) (online version)
• DUI crash survivor shares her story, set to take part in Walk Like MADD and Dash 2016 (KERO-23, ABC – Sept. 23, 2016)