CONTACT:
Mihai Patru, [email protected]
Angela Zepeda, [email protected]
Naomi Imatome-Yujn, [email protected]
A Valley United for Safety: Blue Zones Project Coachella and Blue Zones Project Palm Springs Join Forces to Prevent Impaired Driving
Palm Springs, CA – January 13, 2026 – Blue Zones Project Palm Springs and Blue Zones Project Coachella announced today the launch of a collaborative Driving Under the Influence Prevention Mass Media Campaign.
Alcohol-related crashes continue to pose a critical public safety concern across the Coachella Valley. In Palm Springs, there were 210 DUI arrests in 2023,[1] and in 2022, 69 people were killed or injured in alcohol-related crashes.[2] The majority of crashes involve drivers under the age of 40. There is some evidence that mass media campaigns reduce alcohol-impaired driving and alcohol-related crashes with injuries and fatalities.
“In Palm Springs, the roads we share connect all of us – our families, our friends, our neighbors,” said Mihai Patru, Executive Director of Blue Zones Project Palm Springs. “One impaired decision can put lives at risk, but one responsible choice can save them. This campaign is a call for each of us to step up and protect our community by never driving under the influence. In Blue Zones communities, small choices create big change—and this is one of the most powerful choices we can make to keep our city safe, connected, and thriving.”
Coachella faces similar challenges. In 2022, 142 people in Coachella were killed or injured in alcohol-related crashes[3], and in 2023, there were 128 DUI arrests[4]. “In moments of joy and connection, choosing a safe ride home ensures those good moments continue—without harm to ourselves or our community,” said Angela Zepeda, Executive Director of Blue Zones Project Coachella. “It’s a simple act of care that keeps our families strong and reflects our Power 9 principle of Loved Ones First.”
Recognizing that impaired driving is an issue that affects the entire Coachella Valley – not just one end of it – both projects emphasize the importance of a unified approach. Coordinating messaging ensures all communities are represented and that the campaign has valley-wide impact.
Coachella Valley residents can expect to see campaign messaging across a variety of media platforms. Mass media campaigns remain an effective strategy for discouraging alcohol-impaired driving and encouraging community members to intervene when they see someone attempting to drive under the influence. This initiative supports the ongoing efforts of both projects to improve community health and well-being.
To learn more about Blue Zones Project Palm Springs, please subscribe to our newsletter HERE. To find out more about Blue Zones Project Coachella, please subscribe to our newsletter HERE.
About Blue Zones in Riverside County
Blue Zones Project® is brought to Riverside County by Blue Zones and leading organizations Riverside University Health System – Public Health, Inland Empire Health Plan Foundation, Kaiser Permanente, Molina Healthcare, and Eisenhower Health. In collaboration with the County of Riverside and the Cities of Riverside, Banning, Palm Springs, and Coachella, this innovative partnership brings together private and public organizations under a shared vision to support, build, and measurably improve community well-being across the County. Blue Zones Projects have launched in Riverside, Banning, Coachella, and Palm Springs, while Mead Valley begins a policy-focused Blue Zones Activate. Over five years, local leadership and the local Blue Zones Project teams will implement the Blue Zones Life Radius® model to make healthy choices easier throughout the region through permanent and semi-permanent changes to the built environment, food environment, public policies, and social networks.
About Blue Zones Project
Blue Zones Project is a community-led well-being improvement initiative designed to make healthy choices easier through permanent changes to a city’s environment, policy, and social networks. Blue Zones Project is based on research by founder Dan Buettner, a National Geographic Fellow and New York Times best-selling author who identified five cultures of the world—or blue zones —with the highest concentration of people living to 100 years or older. Blue Zones Project incorporates Buettner’s findings and works with cities to implement policies and programs that will move a community toward optimal health and well-being. Blue Zones launched the first pilot community in 2009 in Albert Lea, MN with groundbreaking results. The model has since been applied to more than 75 communities in the United States. Participating communities have experienced double-digit drops in obesity and tobacco use and have saved millions of dollars in healthcare costs. For more information, visit bluezones.com.
[1] Federal Bureau of Investigation. (n.d.). Crime data explorer: Arrest. Retrieved January 8, 2025, fromhttps://cde.ucr.cjis.gov/LATEST/webapp/#/pages/explorer/crime/arrest
[2] California Office of Traffic Safety. (n.d.). Crash rankings. Retrieved from https://www.ots.ca.gov/media-and-research/crash-rankings/
[3] California Office of Traffic Safety. (n.d.). Crash rankings. Retrieved from https://www.ots.ca.gov/media-and-research/crash-rankings/
[4] Federal Bureau of Investigation. (n.d.). Crime data explorer: Arrest. Retrieved January 8, 2025, fromhttps://cde.ucr.cjis.gov/LATEST/webapp/#/pages/explorer/crime/arrest
