From now through the beginning of 2020, it is expected that DUIs will increase. This is primarily because this time of year is when many people are out celebrating the December holidays with friends, families, and coworkers. In fact, historically, December has always been a month of high DUI crashes and fatalities. The U.S. Department of Transportation reports that in 2016, 3,067 people died in crashes in the month of December alone. About 25% of those were involved in DUI crashes.
Over a five year period during the holiday period from Christmas to New Year, there was an average of 300 people killed each year in DUI crashes. KTLA reports that police agencies have begun the “Drive sober or get pulled over” campaign to start off holiday DUI enforcement.
Over the past weekend, California law enforcement agencies began kicking off the holiday DUI enforcement period. Their stern message to everyone: “Drive sober or get pulled over.”
Beginning on December 13th and through New Year’s Day, agencies will have additional officers on saturation patrols. The Cypress, Fontana, and Lodi police departments also added that their agencies will begin having DUI/driver’s license checkpoints at undisclosed locations.
In 2018, in the four-day period that ended on Christmas night, CHP officers arrested 1,059 drivers who were suspected of DUI. That was up from 2017 when there were 917 DUI arrests.
Those attending holiday parties where alcohol will be served are encouraged to have a designated driver or to utilize a ride-share like Uber or Lyft to get home.
The DUI enforcement campaign is funded through a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety.
