From August 21 to September 7, you probably noticed the "Avoid the 6‟ DUI Task Force was out in full force, targeting one of the deadliest killers on the road: drunk driving. The enforcement was part of the national "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" campaign, to save lives and make our roads safer. DUI enforcement resulted in far too many drunk driving arrests and citations countywide over the past 18 days.
From 12:01 AM Friday August 21th, through Midnight Monday September 7, 2015 officers representing 6 county law enforcement agencies have arrested 65 individuals for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Tragically, there were 3 deaths which are being investigated as potential DUIs in our area!
If everyone would drive sober, thousands of lives could be saved each year. In 2013 alone, there were 10,076 people killed in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes in the United States. California's DUI deaths stood at 867 that year. That is almost a third of all the traffic crash fatalities for the year according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
The El Dorado County DUI Task Force and thousands of law enforcement agencies around the country teamed up with the NHTSA on the high-visibility enforcement campaign this year. The annual effort aims to reduce drunk driving year-round, not just on these few days at the end of summer. The campaign may be over, but the warning remains: "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over".
Law enforcement officials will be conducting more anti-DUI efforts throughout the county and region again during Halloween before planning for the December Winter DUI Mobilization. Police, Sheriff and the CHP encourage all motorists to help make your community safer: Report Drunk Drivers - Call 911! anytime you encounter a dangerous impaired driver.
Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
