Edwards Designated Drivers program sends clear message, 'Don't drink and drive'

  • Published
  • By Diane Betzler
  • Staff Writer
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  The Designated Drivers Program is a service offered year-round at Edwards and its surrounding communities. Fortunately, it's a service that doesn't require constant use, but with the holiday season nearing, the need for a designated driver is expected to grow.

Driving while under the influence can be a deadly combination. The 95th Air Base Wing Command Post is doing its part to ensure that no member of Team Edwards - military or civilian - risk being involved with drunk or otherwise impaired drivers.

What some don't realize is that it's not a question of whether a driver is legally intoxicated; it's a question of whether it is safe to drive when a driver has consumed any amount of alcohol.

Research shows that impairment begins long before a person reaches the legal limit, a blood alcohol concentration level of .08 percent.

Although penalties and consequences of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs have gotten stiffer in many communities, at Edwards that's not good enough. Base officials maintain a zero tolerance for driving under the influence.

Tech. Sgt. Philip Lucas and Staff Sgt. Tiffany Marroquin man the Command Post day shift and both agree that calling in for a designated driver after indulging in a few drinks often saves more than lives.

"By eliminating the risk of driving while under the influence, the driver not only can potentially save lives, but he or she can, in fact, be saving their career and the high cost of legal fees," Sergeant Lucas said.

The person calling for a designated driver stays totally anonymous. "We're not trying to get people in trouble. We just want to give them a ride home," Sergeant Marroquin said.

She said the only questions they ask the caller are where they are and what they're wearing, "That way our driver can identify the person at pickup," she said.

Sergeant Lucas, who is currently serving his second tour at Edwards, said the Designated Drivers Program came about at Edwards in the late 1990s.

"The program has grown a lot since then. We now accept calls from non-military. DoD civilians from North Edwards, Lancaster, Rosamond and other neighboring communities can call us and we'll send a driver to meet them and drive them home," Sergeant Lucas said.

The Command Post has a team of volunteer drivers from different communities whom they can call anytime night or day and have them pick up an impaired person(s) and drive him, her or them home.

"This year alone, we've made 56 saves," Sergeant Marroquin said. Any time the Command Post team rescues an impaired driver from getting behind the wheel, they call it a save.

The designated driver service is free and Edwards military and DoD personnel, whether on base or off, are encouraged to make the right decision when it comes to driving responsibly.

The Command Post staff is on duty seven days a week, twenty-four hours a day. With the holiday season coming, the staff expects the need for designated drivers to be greater and welcome additional volunteer drivers into the program.

Anyone interested in volunteering as a designated driver or in need of a ride, call: (661) 277-AADD or (661) 277-2233.