Los Angeles Police Department Cracking Down on Impaired Drivers during Holidays Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over

Los Angeles: This holiday season, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) will be out in force cracking down on impaired drivers with special DUI/Driver’s License Checkpoints.  In anticipation of the holiday season, the LAPD has planned the following sobriety checkpoints and driving-under-the-influence (DUI) patrols:

Thursday, December 12
Checkpoint in 77th Street Area at Slauson Avenue and Buckler Avenue from 7 P.M. to 1 A.M.
DUI Saturation Patrol in Hollywood Area from 7 P.M. to 3 A.M.

Friday, December 13
Checkpoint in 77th Street Area at Vernon Ave and Hoover Street from 6 P.M. to 12 A.M.
Checkpoint in Hollywood Area at Highland Area and De Longpre Avenue from 8 P.M. to 2 A.M.
Checkpoint in Rampart Area at Olympic Boulevard and Blaine Street from 8 P.M. to 2 A.M.
Checkpoint in Northeast Area at Hyperion Avenue and Scotland Street from 8 P.M. to 2 A.M.

Saturday, December 14
Checkpoint in Van Nuys Area at Sepulveda Boulevard and Vose Street from 8 P.M. to 2 A.M.
DUI Saturation Patrol in Southwest Area from 5 P.M. to 1 A.M.

Thursday, December 19
Checkpoint in Olympic Area at Vermont Avenue and 5th Street from 7 P.M. to 1 A.M.
Checkpoint in Northeast Area at Eagle Rock Boulevard and El Paso Drive from 8 P.M. to 2 A.M.
DUI Saturation Patrol in Hollywood Area from 7 P.M. to 3 A.M.

Friday, December 20
Checkpoint in Hollywood Area at Hollywood Boulevard and Bronson Avenue from 8 P.M. to 2 A.M.
Checkpoint in Van Nuys Area at Ventura Boulevard and Columbus Avenue from 8 P.M. to 2 A.M.

Saturday, December 21
Checkpoint in 77th Street Area at Western Avenue and Slauson Avenue from 8 P.M. to 2 A.M.
Checkpoint in North Hollywood Area at Laurel Canyon Boulevard and Victory Boulevard from 8 P.M. to 2 A.M.

Sunday, December 22
DUI Saturation Patrol in Hollenbeck Area from 2 P.M. to 10 P.M.
DUI Saturation Patrol in Devonshire Area from 5 P.M. to 1 A.M.
DUI Saturation Patrol in 77th Street Area from 5 P.M. to 1 A.M.
Friday, December 27
Checkpoint in 77th Street Area at Manchester Avenue and Hoover Street from 6 P.M. to 12 A.M.
Checkpoint in West Valley Area at Roscoe Boulevard and Gloria Avenue from 8 P.M. to 2 A.M.

Saturday, December 28
Checkpoint in Devonshire Area at Woodley Avenue and Pathenia Street from 8 P.M. to 2 A.M.
Checkpoint in Central Area at Figueroa Street and 9th Street from 8 P.M. to 2 A.M.
Checkpoint in Hollywood Area at Hollywood Boulevard and Cahuenga Boulevard from 8 P.M. to 2 A.M.
DUI Saturation Patrol in West Valley from 6 P.M. to 2 A.M.

The LAPD is giving fair warning to all partygoers.  “In addition to DUI/Drivers License Checkpoints, you will also see us making lots of stops during this highly visible enforcement period,” said Lieutenant Katona.   “If we suspect anyone is driving while under the influence, officers will show zero tolerance for drunk or drugged driving.”

Unfortunately, the excitement and celebrations of the holiday season can lead to terrible decisions – and serious legal consequences.  Data shows that the holiday season is a particularly deadly time due to the increased number of drunk drivers on the roads, and the LAPD is prepared to stop and arrest any drunk driver they see to keep roads safe.  

Nationally in the five years from 2007 to 2011 there were 4,169 people killed during the month of December in crashes that involved drivers with Blood Alcohol Concentrations (BAC) of .08% or higher.  In California during those same five Decembers, 505 were killed and thousands seriously injured.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 32,367 people were killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes across the nation in 2011, and 31 percent (9,878) of those fatalities occurred in drunk-driving-related crashes.  Californians witnessed at total of 2,835 deaths with 774 killed in DUI crashes on their streets and highways.

Drunk drivers often face jail time, the loss of their driver licenses, higher insurance rates, and dozens of other unanticipated expenses ranging from attorney fees, court costs, car towing and repairs, to lost wages due to time off from work. Even worse, a drunk driver can cause a traffic crash that claims someone’s life, or their own.

Please follow these tips to keep the holidays safe and happy:

  – Even one drink can impair your judgment and increase the risk of getting arrested for driving
    Drunk – or worse, the risk of having a crash while driving.
  – If you will be drinking, do not plan on driving.  Plan ahead; designate a sober driver before the
    party begins.
  – If you have been drinking, do not drive. Call a taxi, phone a sober friend or family member,
    or use public transportation.
  – Be responsible. If someone you know is drinking, do not let that person get behind the wheel.
  – If you see an impaired driver on the road, contact law enforcement. Your actions may save
    someone’s life, and inaction could cost a life.  

Remember, it is never safe to drink and drive: Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.

Funding for this Checkpoint provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that reminds everyone: Report Drunk Drivers!  Call 911.

MEDIA NOTES: To schedule an interview regarding the Los Angeles Police Department traffic safety efforts, please contact Officer Don Inman, Traffic Coordination Section, at 213-486-0690.