Local law enforcement agencies, including the California Highway Patrol and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department are preparing for a DUI crackdown through the holiday season. The effort will include a significant increase in officers on the streets in the form of saturation patrols and sobriety checkpoints.
This year law enforcement is asking for the public’s help.
“Drunk driving is the top priority for the California Highway Patrol and other motorists on the roads are one of the best weapons we have against drunk drivers,” said CHP Commissioner Mike Brown. “We’re asking the public to report drunk drivers by calling 911 and providing the location and a complete description of the vehicle. This will help us know who we’re looking for and where to look.”
Some of the features of a drunk driver, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, include drivers turning with a wide radius, straddling the center of the road or lane marker, almost striking an object or another vehicle, weaving and zigzagging across the road, turning abruptly or illegally, driving slower than 10 mph below the speed limit, following others too closely, drifting or moving in a straight line at an angle and erratic braking, driving into opposing or crossing traffic and driving with the headlights off.
Last year, 1,597 people were killed and 31,099 were injured in alcohol-related crashes in California, according to the state Office of Traffic Safety. Los Angeles County had the greatest number of deaths with 300. Another 7,718 people were injured in this county.
“Deaths and injuries due to drunk drivers are a serious concern for everyone,” said state Office of Traffic Safety Director Christopher J. Murphy. “These avoidable tragedies bring the issue to the forefront of traffic safety priorities for California … Knowing that the public is also on the lookout for drunk drivers is a powerful deterrent.”