‘Avoid the 13’ campaign in full swing until New Year’s Day
Gilroy – ‘Tis the season for police to be on the lookout for drunken drivers. Santa Clara County’s Avoid the 13 campaign is in full swing until New Year’s Day and arrests for driving under the influence are down 38 percent since this time last year.
All county law enforcement agencies participate in the holiday crackdown, which began Dec. 16. Law enforcement officials expect to arrest more than 600 impaired drivers in 18 days. As of Dec. 21, there were 134 DUI arrests in the county. Last year, 2,629 DUI arrests were made in the Bay Area during the holiday season.
Gilroy Police Department is assigning special patrols devoted to DUI arrests, said Cpl. Joseph Crivello.
Between the hours of 7pm and 2am officers will be on alert for individuals driving under the influence.
“That’s the thing about DUIs, the streets are empty and then all of a sudden they’re all out at the same time,” he said.
Avoid the 13 draws its name from the original 13 jurisdictions that formed the annual campaign in 1973. Special strike teams are formed to perform roadside sobriety checks and educational appearances. Most patrols will be altered to coincide with the hours most DUIs occur.
Since the campaign started this year, GPD has made seven DUI arrests and California Highway Patrol officers have arrested 11. Six alcohol-related accidents have occurred – none fatalities.
“Right now we are on a maximum enforcement period, which means 80 percent of officers will be patrolling for DUI enforcement,” said CHP Officer Chris Armstrong.
CHP will conduct a sobriety checkpoint before the end of the year. The date has not yet been released.
The state’s zero tolerance law states that if someone under the legal drinking age of 21 has a blood alcohol content of .01 or greater, they immediately lose their license for one year. An adult offender will have his or her license revoked or suspended for anywhere between 30 days to one year, or up to three years with prior offenses.
An average adult requires about an hour to recover from the effects of one drink. A 12-ounce beer, 5 ounces of wine or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof liquor all contain the same amount of alcohol. Two drinks in one hour will often put a person over the legal limit of .08 percent blood alcohol content.
Police warn that drinking and driving may not only result in a tragedy, jail time or probation – but it is also a costly offense. A DUI conviction could easily cost upwards of $5,000, police say.
“Your insurance is going to go up, then you have impound fees, court fees and sometimes the judges want you to pay restitution …” said Crivello. “Think before you drink.”
