Going out for drinks with friends? First, answer one question: Who’s your DD?
That’s the question servers at about 20 bars and restaurants in Pacific Beach will be asking patrons at the start of the night as part of a new program to keep drunk drivers off the road.
Several community leaders, concerned residents and bar owners gathered in front of Bareback Grill, 4640 Mission Blvd., Oct. 11, to announce the start of “Who’s your DD?”
Short for “Who’s your designated driver?,” the program is part of the communitywide effort to lower the number of drunk drivers driving in the area, said Benjamin Nicholls, executive director of Discover Pacific Beach.
“[The program] puts the onus on the patrons to be responsible and identify the people who is going to drive them home, or at least think about how they’re going to get home,” Nicholls said.
The program is simple. Servers will cordially ask patrons if they have a designated driver, who will be able to enjoy free nonalcoholic beverages and snacks for the night.
Cash incentives are also offered to the establishment staff through a secret-shopper program
aimed to keep servers and managers alert and consistently asking their customers “Who’s your DD?”
Servers and managers spotted asking the question receive up to $100 each, Nicholls said.
The program stems from one of the consensus action items created by the Beach Alcohol Task Force.
After meeting for several months, the task force created a list of about more than a dozen actions and strategies aimed at helping to reduce the alcohol-related problems in Pacific Beach.
“I think this is great program, really, the bars and Discover Pacific Beach and the police department have come together to be very proactive,” Faulconer said.
He said the program is a good example of cooperation within the beach communities to keep their communities safe.
The program was also designed using information gathered from research data compiled by researchers at San Diego State University (SDSU) who surveyed 3,200 college students as they entered and exited bars, restaurants and nightclubs in Pacific Beach, said Marian Novak, the study’s coordinator.
The program is part of ongoing research being conducted by SDSU to educate college students about the dangers of alcohol abuse, she said.
About 20 bars from a list of 42 have agreed to start the program immediately or within the month, Nicholls said. Special training is needed for the bar staff before the program can be implemented, he said.
The first two establishments to ask “Who’s your DD?” are Bub’s Dive Bar, 1030 Garnet Ave., and the Bareback Grill. Both of the restaurants started the program Friday, Oct. 12.
“We’re going to do our best to require [the program]” said J.P. Lamont, owner of Bareback Grill. “PB is a drinking town so it’s nice that people offering the drinks, like our place and a few other bars, are going to be responsible to make sure everyone’s safe while they’re having fun.”
According to Capt. Boyd Long of the San Diego Police Department, there were approximately 13,000 DUI arrests countywide in 2006. Of those arrests, approximately 5,200 were in the city of San Diego.
“In my mind those numbers are staggering”¦it’s beyond me why people don’t quit drinking and driving,” Long said.