People Will Drink and Drive at Sears Point

SONOMA, Calif. (IMMEDIATE RELEASE) -  People will be drinking and driving at Sears Point Raceway later this month with the full knowledge and approval of the California Highway Patrol.

Sears Point Raceway will host the 5th annual "Holiday Sobriety Challenge" on Monday, Dec. 17 from noon-2 p.m. The event features a controlled wine and beer tasting experiment that graphically illustrates how alcohol consumption affects driving performance, even at levels well below the legal limit. The event is co-sponsored by the CHP and the Jim Russell Racing Drivers School.

The "Holiday Sobriety Challenge" is held in conjunction with "Lights On For Life Day," which is on Dec. 17 and encourages motorists nationwide to drive with their headlights on to remember those who were killed by impaired drivers.

"What this program has taught us over the years is how little alcohol it takes to impair your driving ability," said Steve Page, president and general manager of Sears Point Raceway. "We are hopeful that the Challenge will help raise awareness and save lives during the holidays."

Statistics within the state of California reflect a need for programs such as the "Holiday Sobriety Challenge." In 2000, alcohol was involved in 30-percent of all collision-related fatalities. Moreover, alcohol was involved in 9.7-percent of all collision-related injuries in California.

"Drinking and driving do not mix and this program helps to raise awareness to this problem," said CHP Captain Jim McLaughlin, Napa Area Commander. "There is too much at risk when you get behind the wheel of a vehicle after consuming alcoholic beverages. We want to stress to people that if you are going to drink then get a designated driver."

The participants who will take part in the experiment at Sears Point will each be served 1 to 3 glasses of wine or beer upon arrival. They will then be taken through a series of field sobriety 
tests by CHP officers, including a Breathalyzer analysis, before being asked to drive around a pre-determined course at speed. They will be joined in the cars by racing instructors from the Jim Russell Racing Drivers School for safety.

Program organizers anticipate that the drivers will have many problems navigating the coned course, illustrating how impairment begins at any amount of alcohol consumption. 
	
Among the participants will be Sonoma Mayor Ken Brown, Petaluma Mayor Clark Thompson, Novato mayor John Mani and various city council members from the North Bay. Fairfield's Jim Inglebright, the two-time defending champion of the Snap-on Tools NASCAR Featherlite Southwest Series event at Sears Point, will also participate.

Other participants in the Challenge will include college students, local business people, retirees and media personnel. This diverse group should provide a good spectrum as to the dangers of drinking and driving at any age. Napa Valley's Beaulieu Vineyards will donate the wine, and Mount St. Helena Brewery will supply the beer for the experiment.

The event will begin at noon and end at approximately 2 p.m.

*NOTE: Statistics used for this release were provided by the California Highway Patrol.
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NOTE: THE MEDIA IS ENCOURAGED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE DRIVING EXPERIMENT AND PROVIDE A FIRST-HAND ACCOUNT OF THE DANGERS OF DRINKING AND DRIVING. HOWEVER, ALL PARTICIPANTS MUST ARRANGE FOR A DESIGNATED DRIVER TO TRANSPORT THEM FROM THE RACEWAY FOLLOWING THE EVENT.