Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over NA16381dm

This holiday season, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) will be out looking for drunk & drugged drivers as part of a special year-end Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over enforcement mobilization.

“Beginning December 16, and continuing into the New Year, you will see stepped up enforcement watching closely for anyone who is driving impaired,” said Lieutenant Ferry, Traffic Coordination Section, Emergency Operations Division. “We want to keep our roads safe for holiday travelers, so we will have zero tolerance for drunk or drugged driving.”

As part of the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over enforcement campaign period, municipal police departments, county sheriff departments and the California Highway Patrol will be deploying DUI Checkpoints and DUI Saturation Patrols during the upcoming 17-day DUI crackdown throughout the region. Through December 23, 2016, The LAPD has the following DUI-related enforcement activities scheduled:

Friday, December 16 •DUI/Driver License Checkpoint at Slauson Avenue and Vermont Avenue from 7 P.M. to 1 A.M. •DUI/Driver License Checkpoint at Florence Avenue and Main Street from 8 P.M. to 2 A.M. •DUI/Driver License Checkpoint at La Brea Avenue and Melrose Avenue from 8 P.M. to 2 A.M. •DUI/Driver License Checkpoint at Valley Boulevard and Eastern Avenue from 8 P.M. to 2 A.M.

Saturday, December 17 •DUI/Driver License Checkpoint at Cahuenga Boulevard and Broadlawn Drive from 8 P.M. to 2 A.M. •DUI/Driver License Checkpoint at Van Nuys Boulevard and Roscoe Boulevard from 8 P.M. to 2 A.M.

Sunday, December 18 •DUI Saturation Patrol in Foothill Area from 5 P.M. to 1 A.M.

Monday, December 19 •DUI/Driver License Checkpoint at Figueroa Street and 9th Street from 8 P.M. to 2 A.M.

Thursday, December 22 •DUI Saturation Patrol in Hollywood Area from 5 P.M. to 1 A.M. •DUI/Driver License Checkpoint at Vermont Avenue and 5th Street from 7 P.M. to 1 A.M.

Friday, December 23 •DUI/Driver License Checkpoint at Imperial Highway and Main Street Avenue from 7 P.M. to 1 A.M. •DUI/Driver License Checkpoint at Laurel Canyon Boulevard and Paxton Street from 8 P.M. to 2 A.M.

Drugs such as prescription medication, marijuana or illicit drugs can impair judgment and get you the same DUI arrest as alcohol. Nationally in 2014, 32,675 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes with 9,967 people killed in crashes involving an impaired driver. In California, total highway deaths were reported at 3,126 with 1,155 lives lost in alcohol and/or drug impaired collisions. If you’re caught driving impaired by alcohol or drugs, you could face jail time, fines, loss of driver’s license, towing fees, and other DUI expenses, totaling $10,000 on average.

“Driving under the influence is not only costly, but can ruin the holidays for you, your family or for someone else’s family,” said the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) Director Rhonda Craft. “Make the decision to drive sober or use our DDVIP app to help you find a safe ride home for yourself or your friends if you know they’ve been drinking.”

Drivers are encouraged to download the Designated Driver VIP, or “DDVIP,” free mobile app for Android or iPhone. The DDVIP app helps find nearby bars and restaurants that feature free incentives for the designated sober driver, from free non-alcoholic drinks to free appetizers and more. The feature-packed app even has social media tie-ins and even a tab for the non-DD to call Uber, Lyft or Curb.

For more information on the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over enforcement campaign and all OTS efforts, visit www.ots.ca.gov. To learn more about the DDVIP app, please visit the OTS Facebook at www.facebook.com/CaliforniaOTS or follow OTS on Twitter @OTS_CA.

The LAPD wants everyone to have a safe and memorable holiday season, and is calling on everyone to be alert; ‘Report Drunk Drivers – Call 911! Funding for this holiday enforcement campaign is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

MEDIA NOTES: To schedule an interview regarding the Los Angeles Police Department traffic safety efforts, please contact Officer Donald Inman at (213) 486-0690.