DUIs ARE DOWN The 2016 numbers are in, and the results are great: Mt. Lebanon police saw a 19 percent reduction in DUI arrests over 2015.

Police Chief Aaron Lauth chalks up the decrease to the ease in getting a ride share service, such as Uber, to drive. It traditionally has been difficult to get a cab to come to Mt. Lebanon but not so with ride sharing.

“Outside the Saloon late at night, there are Ubers sitting out there,” he says.

Although he doesn’t have statistics to prove the Uber theory, he says the trends do mirror national statistics.

The reduction in arrests includes all sorts of “influences” for the DUI, including alcohol, illegal drugs and prescription drugs. However, Lauth notes the department is seeing an uptick in the percentage of DUIs that involve drugs, both prescription and illegal.

A wealth of information on how to prevent and combat prescription and illegal drug abuse is online at www.mtlebanon.org/safe.

AEDs ALL OVER TOWN Thanks to the St. Clair Hospital Foundation, three of Mt. Lebanon’s outdoor automated external defibrillator units will have bright new cases. The units, which are equipped with alarms that sound when the kits are opened, can be found on poles on Beverly Road, Clearview Common and at the sports fields on Cedar Boulevard. In addition to the defibrillator units, they will also include Medical Rescue Team South Authority’s Stop the Bleed kit, with tools to help control bleeding injuries until medics arrive on scene. MRTSA will be teaching classes on the techniques this spring. www.mrtsa.com 

LOOK UP LEBO Runners and walkers, hear our plea: If the street you’re using has sidewalks, use them. Do not walk or run in the travel lane. If your street doesn’t have a sidewalk, walk against the flow of traffic. It’s easier for you to see what’s coming and easier for drivers to see you. If you’re taking Buddy or Daisy along for the run, make sure your dog is under your control at all times and that you have him or her on a leash when in our public parks that allow dogs.