The City of Long Beach wants everyone to enjoy the holidays. The Holiday Season is a time for parties and celebrations, and the City encourages everyone to celebrate safely to avoid injuring yourself or others.
It is especially important to note the importance of not driving under the influence. Make a plan and designate a driver before attending holiday festivities. Remember that driving under the influence is more than drunk driving: it includes marijuana and some prescription and over the counter drugs in addition to alcohol and illegal drugs.
The City also urges drivers to pre-plan their routes and to avoid texting or otherwise using their cell phones while driving.
Thanksgiving
- Thanksgiving is a peak day for home cooking fires.
- The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recommends against deep-frying turkeys; if you decide to do so, follow safety recommendations, and never deep-fry a frozen turkey.
- Always stay in the kitchen while cooking; unattended cooking is the leading cause of cooking fires and casualties.
- Always keep children away from hot stoves.
- Thanksgiving is a peak holiday for DUI-related traffic accidents.
- In the City of Long Beach, DUI-related traffic collisions claimed the lives of nine people in 2018 and seven people in 2019.
- Last year, 12 DUI arrests were made throughout the City during Thanksgiving weekend alone.
- To prevent injury to yourself and others, designate a driver, or use a taxi or ride-sharing service to get to and from your destination.
- Remember that driving under the influence includes alcohol, marijuana, some prescription and over the counter drugs and illegal drugs.
The community is encouraged to call the Long Beach Police Department to report dangerous or illegal activities. Every call matters. For non-emergency calls, please dial (562) 435-6711. For emergencies, dial 9-1-1. All calls for service provide data to the City that is helpful in communicating safety messages to the community every year.