As summer comes to a close and the Labor Day holiday approaches, law enforcement agencies in Santa Clara County will be on high alert for impaired drivers who risk injuring or killing themselves or others on the roadways.
The county’s Avoid the 13 DUI Task Force will work toward placing more officers on the roads and implementing DUI checkpoints during the 18-day end-of-summer period that started Aug. 21 and ends on Labor Day, Sept. 7, according to a press release from the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office. Police will show “zero tolerance” for impaired driving during this time.
In 2013, more than 10,000 people were killed in drunk driving crashes in the U.S.; that’s almost one-third of all traffic fatalities for the year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In California, 867 people died on the roads in drunk driving collisions in 2013.
Statistics also show that in California, 38 percent of all crash fatalities on Labor Day involved drunk drivers, the press release adds.
The California Highway Patrol will “deploy all available officers onto freeways and county roads as part of their maximum enforcement period over the three-day holiday weekend, authorities said.
Police remind motorists and revelers that these accidents are avoidable with a little planning. Partiers should designate a sober driver or call a cab, police caution.
A useful tool is the California Office of Traffic Safety’s DDVIP (Designated Driver VIP) mobile phone application, which is available for free download on iOS and Android systems, authorities said. This app allows users to “map a spot” with their current location to search for participating bars and restaurants in their region or throughout the state. Users will be offered free incentives at these establishments to reward designated drivers.
Also through the app, those who choose to drink alcohol and don’t plan on driving can order a sober ride from Uber, Lyft or Curb services, police said.
Sober motorists who observe possible DUI activity on the roadways can also report the vehicle to 911, authorities added.
Avoid the 13 DUI Task Force funding is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety.
