1620 5th AvenueKEYT ABC 3 in Santa Barbara is reporting that California police have increased DUI checkpoints for the Labor Day weekend in an effort to keep drunk drivers off the roads. Drunk driving can become an issue around the holidays as families and friends come together to celebrate, celebrations that many times include alcohol.
Even in the days and weeks leading up to a holiday, drunk driving sometimes ramps up. The California Highway Patrol (CHP) set up DUI checkpoints in the San Diego and Santa Barbara areas on August 22, over a week before Labor Day, and made multiple arrests. One of the men the CHP arrested tried to flee the scene, and officers had to use a Taser on him.
The additional officers needed to staff the extra DUI checkpoints is paid for with traffic grants. One of the most well-known of these grants is “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.”
“Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” is a two-week-long national campaign that began August 16 and is designed to help law enforcement crackdown on drunk drivers, according to SCVTV in Santa Clarita. In addition to the national campaign, CHP’s annual Labor Day Maximum Enforcement Period (MEP) runs from August 30 through today, during which there is an increased emphasis on removing impaired drivers from the roads.
Over 1,300 arrests for driving under the influence were made during last year’s Labor Day MEP, which was an 11 percent decrease from the same period the year before. However, 35 people still lost their lives in accidents on California roads over the 2012 Labor Day holiday weekend.
“Through our education and enforcement efforts over the holiday, we are hoping to save lives and reduce the number of people injured and killed on California’s roadways,” said CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow. “Do not let your guard down just because summer is coming to an end; drive defensively and always wear your seat belt.”
That being said, sometimes no matter how defensively you drive, you can still be the victim of a car accident caused by another driver’s negligence. If this is the case for you or someone you love, you deserve to have an attorney on your side who knows what to do and who will work tirelessly to hold those responsible for your injuries—or a loved one’s fatal injuries—accountable.
Please visit our site for more information on car accidents, and contact our firm at (619) 853-5101 for a free consultation if you or a loved one has been injured because of someone else’s negligence.
Did you know?: Every day in America, 27 people die in drunk driving crashes.
Bonnici Law Group, APC—San Diego car accident lawyer
1620 5th Avenue