The O.C. Avoid DUI Task Force will be out in full force through Labor Day weekend

NEWS, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contacts: Lt. Jeff Hallock, 714.904.7042, JHallock@ocsd.org; Emily Osterberg, 714.647.1840, EOsterberg@ocsd.org

The Orange County Avoid DUI Task Force Will Be Out in Full Force to Catch Drunk Drivers

SANTA ANA, Calif. (August 21, 2015) – The Orange County Avoid DUI Task Force is increasing its enforcement efforts as part of a national crackdown on drunk driving. The 18-day, high-visibility campaign, Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over, is a partnership with the California Office of Traffic Safety to curb impaired driving and save lives.

From August 21, 2015 until Labor Day, September 7, 2015, law enforcement partners in Orange County, across the state and nationwide will have zero tolerance for drunk driving. Increased state and national messaging about the dangers of driving drunk, coupled with checkpoints and increased officers on the road, aim to drastically reduce the toll of drunk driving. The County’s DUI Task Force kicks off Friday night by deploying a DUI/Driver License checkpoint during the first weekend along with several special DUI Saturation Patrols. The California Highway Patrol will deploy all available officers onto freeways and county roads as part of their Maximum Enforcement Period over the three-day holiday weekend.

In 2013 there were 10,076 people killed in drunk-driving crashes, almost a third of all traffic fatalities according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). In California, 867 people died in drunk-driving collisions according to NHTSA. Thirty-eight percent of crash fatalities on Labor Day weekend that year involved drunk drivers with a Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) of .08 percent or higher.

These accidents are preventable. Designate a sober driver or call a cab. The California Office of Traffic Safety DDVIP (Designated Driver VIP) mobile app is now available for free download on iOS and Android devices. Launched last year, the new DDVIP app allows users to “Map a Spot” with their current location to find DDVIP partnering establishments in their area or a “List of Spots” to search all participating bars and restaurants throughout California. Users will be offered free incentives at each bar to celebrate their life saving role. Users can also easily order a sober ride from Uber, Lyft or Curb from the app.
Remember that there is no excuse for drunk or impaired driving. Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.

The Orange County Avoid DUI Task Force funding is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration who reminds everyone; Report Drunk Drivers! – Call 9-1-1.

Schedule of DUI Enforcement Events:

Checkpoints

• Orange: 8/21/15
• Laguna Beach: 8/22/15
• Huntington Beach: 8/22/15
• Garden Grove: 8/28/15
• Newport Beach: 8/28/15
• La Habra: 9/4/15
• Fullerton: 9/4/15
• Tustin: 9/4/15
• Santa Ana: 8/21/15 and 9/4/15
• OCSD – San Clemente: 8/28/15
• Anaheim: TBD

Saturations

• Fullerton:8/21/15-8/23/15, 8/28/15-8/31/15, 9/5/15-9/7/15
• Costa Mesa: 8/21/15-8/22/15, 8/27/15-8/29/15, 9/3/15-9/5/15
• Garden Grove: Every weekend starting 8/21/15 to 9/7/15
• Orange: 8/28/15
• Anaheim: 9/4/15
• Santa Ana: 8/22/15-8/23/15, 9/5/15-9/6/15
• Orange County Sheriff’s Department: TBD

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