Fourth of July Reminder: Drive Impaired and Get Arrested NA17120im

Over the Fourth of July holiday, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) and other law enforcement agencies will be looking and stopping impaired drivers who put lives in danger. Over this holiday, keep in mind that impairment by alcohol and/or drugs can be deadly. Remember: Drive Impaired and Get Arrested.

The LAPD will deploy additional officers at DUI/Driver License Checkpoints and DUI Saturation Patrols specifically to stop and arrest drivers showing signs of alcohol or drug impairment. The following are the planned enforcement details by the LAPD:

Thursday, June 29, 2017 •DUI Saturation Patrol in Olympic Area from 5 P.M. to 1 A.M

Friday, June 30, 2017 •DUI Saturation Patrol in Southeast Area from 5 P.M. to 1 A.M •DUI/Driver License Checkpoint from 8 P.M. to 1 A.M. on N Figueroa Street at York Boulevard •DUI/Driver License Checkpoint from 8 P.M. to 1 A.M. on La Brea Avenue at Willoughby Avenue •DUI/Driver License Checkpoint from 8 P.M. to 1 A.M. on Sunset Boulevard at Coronado Street

Saturday, July 1, 2017 •DUI Saturation Patrol in Central Bureau from 6 P.M. to 2 A.M •DUI/Driver License Checkpoint from 7 P.M. to 12 A.M. on Manchester Avenue at Hoover Street •DUI/Driver License Checkpoint from 8 P.M. to 1 A.M. on Victory Boulevard at Bellaire Avenue •DUI/Driver License Checkpoint from 8 P.M. to 1 A.M. on Cahuenga Boulevard at Broadlawn Drive

Sunday, July 2, 2017 •DUI Saturation Patrol in 77th Street Area from 12 P.M. to 8 P.M •DUI Saturation Patrol in Mission Area from 5 P.M. to 1 A.M

Monday, July 3, 2017 •DUI Saturation Patrol in 77th Street Area from 5 P.M. to 1 A.M

High Visibility Enforcement, using both DUI checkpoints and DUI Saturation Patrols, has proven to lower the number of persons killed and injured in alcohol or drug impaired collisions. Research shows that traffic collisions involving an impaired driver can be reduced by up to 20 percent when well-publicized, proactive DUI operations are conducted routinely.

Officers will be looking for signs of alcohol and/or drug impairment. The LAPD will deploy specially trained officers to evaluate those drivers suspected of drug-impaired driving, which now accounts for a growing number of impaired driving crashes.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA) data shows that young drivers (18 to 34 years old) are especially at risk of driving under the influence of alcohol. In fact, 49 percent of the drivers 18 to 34 years old who were killed over the July Fourth period in 2015 were driving under the influence of alcohol (BAC of .08 or higher).

In recent years, California has seen an increase in drug-impaired driving crashes. The LAPD supports the new effort by the Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) that aims to educate all drivers that “DUI Doesn’t Just Mean Booze.” If you take prescription drugs, particularly those with a driving or operating machinery warning on the label, you might be impaired enough to get be arrested for DUI. Marijuana is an impairing drug, especially in combination with alcohol or other drugs, and can result in being arrested for DUI.

Plan your sober ride home before the party begins this July 4th weekend celebration. The cost of a ride home is cheap. 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. Drivers caught driving impaired can expect the impact of a DUI arrest to include jail time, fines, fees, DUI classes, license suspensions, increased insurance rates and other expenses that can exceed $10,000.

Funding for this DUI operation is provided to the LAPD by a grant from California OTS, through NHTSA, reminding everyone to ‘Report Impaired Drivers – Call 9-1-1’.