Law enforcement agencies in Santa Clara County reported at least
146 arrests on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol
or drugs during the Memorial Day weekend, according to Sheriff’s
Office Sgt. Rick Sung.
Law enforcement agencies in Santa Clara County reported at least 146 arrests on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs during the Memorial Day weekend, according to Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Rick Sung.
The arrests were the result of the ongoing Avoid the 13 campaign, characterized by heightened enforcement of drunken driving violations. Thirteen agencies in the county, including the Morgan Hill Police Department and California Highway Patrol, participate in the annual holiday DUI crackdown.
The holiday arrests took place from 12:01 a.m. Friday until 12 midnight Monday. During the same three-day period surrounding Memorial Day 2009, the agencies arrested 115 people for impaired driving.
Morgan Hill Police arrested seven DUI suspects over the holiday, Sung added. That is up from two compared to last year.
Enforcement tactics included the use of sobriety checkpoints at major intersections and saturation patrols throughout the county, police said.
And throughout the county, a total of six collisions involving suspected drunken or impaired drivers were reported, with five injuries resulting, Sung said.
No fatalities were reported in DUI-related collisions on local roads, but statewide 17 people died in drunken driving accidents during Memorial Day weekend, CHP officer Jaime Rios said – about a 62 percent decline from last year, when 27 people died in accidents allegedly caused by drunken drivers.
CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow attributes the decrease in fatalities from last year’s Memorial Day weekend to the increased enforcement and awareness.
“It’s encouraging news, but the motoring public should remember that safety never takes a holiday,” said Farrow. “Always wear your seat belt, watch your speed and never drink and drive.”
The Avoid the 13 campaign will continue this summer, with agencies conducting more anti-DUI efforts during the July 4 and Labor Day holidays, plus three crackdowns in August.
Avoid the 13 started in 1973, and is funded annually by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
