Utah Department of Public Safety

THE DEADLIEST UTAH PREDATOR – NOT WHAT YOU THINK

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

2015 Memorial Day Press release PDF

Contact:

Steve Wright                                                                                         Ryan LaBarge

R&R Partners                                                                                        Scheels

801-531-6877                                                                                         Store Leader

steve.wright@rrpartners.com                                                            ralabarge@scheels.com

THE DEADLIEST UTAH PREDATOR–NOT WHAT YOU THINK

Utah law enforcement has partnered with Scheels to remind Utahns of the dangerous and life-altering the effects of drunk driving are and what can be done to prevent it.

Salt Lake City, May 19, 2015 – The Utah Department of Public Safety, local law enforcement and Scheels Sporting Goods have teamed up to deliver an important message to all Memorial Day celebrators. Starting May 21, Scheels and local law enforcement will display a 20-foot exhibit, titled Utah’s Deadliest Predators. The custom exhibit features a lineup of what are often perceived to be Utah’s top seven deadliest predators. However, many people may be surprised to learn what, or more appropriately who, is the deadliest creature of all–the drunk driver, who kills an average of 30 people per year.

On Thursday, May 21, from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM at Scheels (11282 South State St., Sandy), representatives from the Utah Highway Patrol, leadership from the Utah Highway Safety Office and employees from Scheels will gather to unveil the public safety display. Several officers and members from Scheel’s general management team will be available to discuss the efforts with local news media.

The Utah’s Deadliest Predators exhibit shares an important reminder about the fatal consequences of drunk driving, and encourages Utahns to designate a sober driver or call a cab before taking the first drink. “While people are enjoying the outdoors this Memorial Day weekend and beyond, they may think about bear attacks or encountering a wolf. What we want to show them with this display is that the most dangerous thing they face is someone who drinks too much at a barbeque or party and then gets behind the wheel,” shares Trooper Lawrence Hopper of the Utah Highway Patrol. “We hope to convey just how deadly drunk driving is and encourage anyone who is going to consume alcohol to plan ahead and designate a sober driver, because your decisions can impact both you and innocent people on the roads with you.” In addition to this display, law enforcement agencies throughout Utah will be conducting roving DUI patrols over the Memorial Day weekend (May 22–25).

“We welcome the opportunity to share this important safety message with our customers, and we hope this display serves as a strong reminder of the tragic consequences of drunk driving,” states Ryan LaBarge, Store Leader of Scheels. “We understand our customers prepare for their outdoor adventures with a visit to our store, and we hope as part of that visit they will make serious preparations to drink responsibly, and not to drink and drive.” During the summer months of 2014, law enforcement officers across Utah made more than 2,600 arrests for driving under the influence.

DUI Enforcement Mobilization is a statewide media and community outreach campaign focused on changing Utah citizens’ perceptions and behaviors of driving under the influence of alcohol.

For more information about Utah’s DUI media campaign, visit drivesober.org.

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