Chilifest 2014 is just around the corner and officials have teamed up to remind festival attendees to be safe.
Officers from the College Station Police Department and representatives from two divisions of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service – “Watch UR BAC” and the DWI Law Enforcement Advisory Group – held a press conference Tuesday to advise A&M students going to Chilifest to plan ahead.
Lt. Chuck Fleeger of the CSPD said the best thing students can do is make sure they have a safe ride home.
“Our hope is that people will think ahead and make transportation arrangements in advance,” Fleeger said. “The best way is to plan a designated driver … not the person who’s had the least amount to drink, it’s the person who has had nothing to drink.”
The press conference also featured keynote speaker Tracy Sheets, a College Station police officer who was hit by a drunk driver in 2010 and faced a long recuperation.
Sheets said she hopes students remember that their decisions can affect more than just themselves and said she wants to remind people, especially college students, of the consequences. Sheets emphasized the importance of appointing a designated driver by adding that she will deal with her injuries the rest of her life.
Fleeger said people should not wait until the day of the event to plan a designated driver, they should try to practice safe social activity and they should drink alcohol in moderation to avoid dehydration.
Festivalgoers should also take care to drink plenty of non-alcoholic beverages, wear sunscreen, stay in the shade and eat plenty of food between alcoholic drinks, according to an AgriLife Extension Service press release.
According to 2013 police reports, 112 alcohol-related citations were issued on site at Chilifest, nine of which involved arrest.
Fleeger said students should take care to remember that officers will be on the lookout for people driving under the influence after Chilifest.