But alcohol-related injury accidents doubled to 16
Gilroy – The good news is there have not been any alcohol related deaths this year since the start of Santa Clara County’s Avoid the 13 campaign. The bad news is there have been twice as many alcohol related injuries compared to last year.
There have been 16 injuries reported since the crackdown began Dec. 16. As of midnight Sunday, law enforcement officials throughout the county made 329 arrests for driving under the influence – a 17 percent decrease over the same time last year. With about a week left to the 17 day holiday drunken driving campaign California Highway Patrol officers are hitting the roads at maximum enforcement.
About 80 percent of CHP officers will be on the lookout for impaired drivers – even those with desk assignments, said Avoid the 13 spokesperson Jan Ford.
CHP will conduct a sobriety checkpoint by the end of the year, although the date has not been released.
“We’re trying to help people stay of the hospital and out of the morgue,” she explained.
Law enforcement officials expect to arrest more than 600 impaired drivers over course of the two-and-half-week campaign. Last year, 2,679 DUI arrests were made in the Bay Area during the holiday season.
Most law enforcement agencies have assigned special patrols to cruise the streets for drunken drivers. The crackdown ends at midnight on New Year’s Day.
So far, the Gilroy Police Department has made 15 DUI arrests and the Hollister Gilroy CHP have arrested 14.
GPD made six DUI arrests over the Christmas weekend.
According to Ford, law enforcement officials expect arrests to increase New Year’s Eve weekend. She said people are often more conscious about watching their alcohol consumption when drinking in a bar versus at home. Sometimes with the added pressure of being around family, one can easily lose sight of how much they’ve consumed, she explained.
Ford recommends leaving your car at home this weekend.
“That way you won’t be tempted to drive after you’ve been drinking when judgment is impaired,” she explained. “We always suggest that you think about how you’re going to get home before you leave home … If you can take public transportation, please do.”
Law enforcement officials estimate that the average cost for a DUI conviction can add up to $12,000 after to lawyer fees, increased car insurance, court fees and alcohol classes are totaled.
“The arrest is just the beginning of the nightmare,” Ford explained. “How much more fun can you have with $12,000? It’s so easy to avoid. Why would you not designate a driver?”
