Orange County DUI Task Force Holiday Crackdown on Impaired Driving

Orange County Sheriff
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, NEWS
Contacts: Lt. Jeff Hallock (714) 904-7042/Gail Krause, (714) 647-1840

Orange County DUI Task Force Holiday Crackdown on Impaired Driving

Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over

SANTA ANA, California (December 11, 2013) – This holiday season, state and local law enforcement will be out in force cracking down on drunk drivers throughout the region with aggressive “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” enforcement.

From December 13, 2013 to January 1, 2014, the Orange County ‘Avoid the 38’ DUI Task Force will be watching for drunk drivers to help keep roads safe for holiday travelers. Enforcement efforts will include: 12 DUI/Driver’s license checkpoints, a multi-agency strike team, 14 local DUI saturation patrols, 2 DUI warrant/probation sweeps and a DUI court sting operation targeting suspended drivers who were ordered not to drive by a judge. (See attached 20-day schedule of operations for dates and city locations).

The ‘Avoid the 38’ DUI Task Force is giving fair warning to all partygoers. “You’ll see us making lots of stops during this highly visible enforcement period and if we suspect anyone is driving while impaired, officers will show zero tolerance and offenders will be arrested.” said Sergeant Yvonne Shull of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department Traffic Bureau.

Unfortunately, the excitement and celebrations of the holiday season can lead to terrible decisions and serious legal consequences. Data shows that the holiday season is a particularly deadly time due to the increased number of drunk drivers on the roads, and every law enforcement agency in the county is prepared to stop and arrest any drunk driver they see to keep roads safe.

Nationally from 2007 to 2011, there were 4,169 people killed during the month of December in crashes that involved drivers with Blood Alcohol Concentrations (BAC) of .08% or higher. In California, during those same five Decembers, 505 were killed and thousands seriously injured.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 32,367 people were killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes across the nation in 2011, and 31 percent (9,878) of those fatalities occurred in drunk-driving related crashes. Californians had a total of 2,835 deaths with 774 killed in DUI crashes on their streets and highways.

Drunk drivers often face jail time, the loss of their driver licenses, higher insurance rates and dozens of other unanticipated expenses ranging from attorney fees, court costs, car towing and repairs, to lost wages due to time off from work. Even worse, a drunk driver can cause a traffic crash that claims someone’s life, or their own.

The DUI Task Force encourages the public to follow these tips to keep the holidays safe and happy:

• Plan ahead and designate a sober driver before the party begins. If you will be drinking, do not plan on driving. Even one drink can impair your judgment and increase the risk of getting arrested for driving drunk—or worse, the risk of having a crash while driving.
• If you have been drinking, do not drive. Call a taxi, phone a sober friend or family member, or use public transportation. The Orange County Transit Authority (OCTA) will be offering free bus rides on all fixed-route buses on New Year’s Eve to promote safe travel. Free bus rides will be available from 6:00 p.m. Tuesday, December 31, 2013 until 2:30 a.m., Wednesday, January 1, 2014.
• Be responsible. If someone you know is drinking, do not let that person get behind the wheel.
• If you see an impaired driver on the road, contact law enforcement. Your actions may save someone’s life, and inaction could cost a life.

Remember, it is never safe to drink and drive: Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.

Grant funding for the ‘Avoid the 38’ DUI Task Force is provided by the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration who reminds everyone to report drunk drivers – call 9-1-1.

# # #

Orange County DUI Enforcement Operations – Winter Holiday Schedule

SANTA ANA, California (December 11, 2013) – The Orange County ‘Avoid the 38’ DUI Task Force will be conducting enforcement operations for the Winter Holiday DUI Campaign from December 13, 2013 to January 1, 2014. Below is a schedule of operations, dates, and locations. Some agencies have yet to determine exact dates of operations.

DUI / Drivers License Checkpoints:

 City of Fullerton: Thursday, December 12, 7:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m.
 Cities of Santa Ana and Laguna Woods (OCSD): Friday, December 13, 7:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m.
 Cities of Brea and Huntington Beach: Saturday, December 14, 7:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m.
 Cities of Seal Beach, Los Alamitos, and Cypress (Multi-Agency): Friday, December 20, 7:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m.
 City of Santa Ana: Saturday, December 21, 7:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m.
 Cities of Huntington Beach and La Habra: Friday, December 27, 7:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m.
 Cities of Santa Ana and Westminster (Multi-Agency): Friday, December 27, 7:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m.
 City of Anaheim: Saturday, December 28, 7:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m.
 City of Garden Grove: Saturday, December 31, 7:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m.

DUI Saturation Patrols:

 Cities of Costa Mesa, Huntington Beach and Los Alamitos: Friday, December 13, 7:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m.
 City of Costa Mesa: Thursday, Dec 19, 7:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m.
 City of Orange: Friday, December 20, 7:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m.
 Cities of La Habra, Placentia, Brea, and CSU Fullerton Police (Multi-Agency): Saturday, December 21,
7:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m.
 Cities of Seal Beach, Los Alamitos, and Westminster (Multi-Agency): Friday, December 27,
7:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m.
 City of Westminster: Saturday, December 28, 7:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m.
 City of Tustin: Friday, December 30, 7:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m.
 Cities of Anaheim and Placentia, Saturday, December 31, 7:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m.

The following enforcement operations are also scheduled during the Winter Holiday DUI Campaign but the exact dates have yet to be determined by the participating agencies:

 Court Sting Operation: Orange County Sheriff’s Department
 Warrant Service Operation: Garden Grove Police Department and Orange County Sheriff’s Department
 DUI Saturation Patrols: Cities of Irvine and Fountain Valley
 Multi-Agency Saturation Patrols: City of Irvine and the UC Irvine Police Department

Grant funding for the ‘Avoid’ program is provided by the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Statistical data on the number of DUI arrests and DUI fatal crashes will be released from the previous day’s activities throughout the holiday weekend.

# # #