DUI checkpoints, patrols, ramped up during holiday period

SAN DIEGO – Heads up to holiday party-goers! To help save lives this holiday season, law enforcement from 15 agencies are launching a special “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” crackdown to stop impaired drivers and save lives on local roadways.

The San Diego County DUI Avoid the 15 Task Force will be aggressively looking for impaired drivers and will arrest anyone caught driving under the influence. The special enforcement crackdown with the county’s Avoid the 15 task force will run from Dec. 14 through Jan. 1. Enforcement efforts will include:

DUI/Driver License Checkpoints, DUI saturation patrols, a multi-agency DUI Taskforce strike team patrol, and a DUI Warrant sweep. Agencies will deploy all available deputies and officers during two maximum enforcement periods – Christmas and New Year’s weekends.

• Dec. 14 – Sobriety Checkpoints in Vista and Santee, 8 p.m. to 3 a.m.

• Dec. 15 – Warrant Sweep, South Bay

• Dec. 15 – Sobriety Checkpoint Lemon Grove and Encinitas, 8 p.m. to 3 a.m.

• Dec. 20 – DUI Saturation Patrol for the Poinsettia Bowl, 5 p.m. to midnight

• Dec. 21 – Sobriety Checkpoint San Marcos, 8 p.m. to 3 a.m.

• Dec. 22 – Sobriety Checkpoint Rancho San Diego, 8 p.m. to 3 a.m.

• Dec. 28 – Sobriety Checkpoint Poway and Imperial Beach, 8 p.m. to 3 a.m.

• Dec. 29 – Sobriety Checkpoint Chula Vista, 8 p.m. to 3 a.m.

• Dec. 30 – DUI Saturation Patrol Chargers/Raiders game, 5 p.m. to midnight

• Dec. 31 – DUI Saturation Patrol, Sheriff’s Department contract cities: San Marcos, Vista, Poway, Encinitas, Lemon Grove, Imperial Beach, and Santee.

“Don’t let a DUI ruin your holidays,” said Sheriff Bill Gore. “Before you leave home for a holiday party, think about how everyone can get home safely. Designate a sober driver, take a cab or stay the night. We are not going to tolerate impaired driving. So remember, ‘Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.’ We will be watching.”

The Avoid the 15 Coalition recommends these simple tips for a safe holiday season:

Plan ahead. If you will be drinking, do not plan on driving. Designate a sober driver or find another safe way home. Even one too many drinks increases the risk of a crash while driving a motor vehicle.

If you are impaired, find another way home. Use a taxi, call a sober friend or family member or use public transportation.

Be responsible. If someone you know is drinking, do not let them get behind the wheel. If you see an impaired driver on the road, report them - call 911! Your actions may save someone’s life, and inaction could cost a life.

Funding for this operation is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.