Police, cabs aim for safe holidays

Wassail, a salutation wishing health to a person, used in England in early times when presenting a cup of drink. Or, when drinking to a person's health, "Wassail!"

Times have changed in this more enlightened age of holiday caution where wassailing could lead straight to a drunken-driving conviction or a fatal crash. But there are resources at hand in the Valley for holiday celebrations to keep people safe even as they wassail.

Alaska Cab, which last year offered free rides on New Year's Eve, was recognized last year by the Wasilla Police Department for helping toward a zero DWI arrest rate that night.

This year, the cab company is again offering free rides.

"We're shooting for a DWI-free night again," said Alaska Cab manager, Guy Hibbert. "We're putting on more cars this year, nine cars and two vans. We welcome community members if they want to help -- we can give them hand-held radios."

The cab company is encouraging people to team up in groups of three or four to go to and from a party or bar.

"That way, we won't get so backed up," Hibbert said.

They will start at 9 p.m., and drive all night on New Year's Eve. All they ask is for passengers to give their taxi driver a tip.

"What we want most of all is for people to have fun. We're giving away our best night of the year with the hopes that no one gets hurt or killed," Hibbert said.

Tesoro2Go is helping the efforts by giving free gas to the cab company, Hibbert said. The company will be offering the free rides in Palmer and Wasilla only.

Alaska State Trooper Capt. Simon Brown II said his troopers are targeting designated driver programs in outlying areas. Community members up the Parks Highway, for example, who come into Wasilla for their New Year's celebrations are being asked to designate a sober driver to get them safely back home, Brown said. He's asking bars along the way to offer special incentives to highlight and support the designated driver.

The Wasilla and Palmer police departments will have extra patrol officers during the holidays. The Wasilla Police Department is using a Child Seat Belt Safety grant to pay for the extra officers.

This gives an added emphasis to patrol efforts -- they really want to see drivers focus on properly restraining infants and children, said Chief Don Savage.

The Palmer Police are using an Alaska Highway Safety Grant to pay the overtime for officers, and will be looking at three areas -- drunken drivers, seat-belt violators and speeders.

"Speeding has accounted for more accidents than drunk drivers, though that isn't to say drunk driving isn't a problem," said Palmer Police Chief George "Russ" Boatright. "We're putting out more officers not just at night, but all hours of the day."

A relatively new toxicology-reading tool lodged in some Valley bars offers a way to gauge driver safety. The Talking Computerized Alcohol Tester has a straw to one side. You insert $1 and blow in the straw for a set amount of time, said Wasilla Bar bartender Shawn Cornelius.

"It will tell you what your blood-alcohol level is," she said.

Trooper Mike Berkmire said he hasn't tested and compared the computerized tester with those used by troopers, but "it probably gives a good idea on alcohol consumption."

He advises to "error on the side of caution." For example, a person should wait 15 minutes from his or her last drink in order to get an accurate reading, as law enforcement officers do when testing for DWI.

"Otherwise, the alcohol residue remains in the mouth and gives you a high reading," Berkmire said. To be even more accurate, wait a half hour to take the test, he said.

The troopers also put out a pamphlet that provides tips to hosts on keeping their guests safe at holiday parties.

Be a good host all the way, it advises. Don't offer coffee at the last minute, believing that a night of drinking can be sobered by caffeine. Offer to call cabs, or accommodate guests overnight in your home.

It advises hosts to create a relaxed atmosphere to make guests feel welcome, because alcohol is often used to ease loneliness and tension.