Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign in South Lake Tahoe

In the United States, 31% of all traffic fatalities involve drunk driving which means 10,322 people are killed by drunk drivers annually, with 802 of those in California alone.

With holiday parties and festive occasions, more people will be drinking that during a normal week.

The South Lake Tahoe Police Department is sending out a message: Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over. Due to the increase in drunk-driving-related fatalities around the holidays each year, law enforcement agencies across America will be out in force December 12-January 1, 2015—actively searching for drunk or drug impaired drivers.

Between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day in South Lake Tahoe last year there were 14 DUI arrests in the city limits with another 28 people arrested for being drunk in public. In the last 30 days there have been 15 DUI arrests in the city.

In order to keep the roads and public safe, SLTPD will be having 12 roving DUI Saturation patrols and 1 DUI/Driver's License Checkpoint starting on December 20. The DUI Saturation Patrol will be operating from 7:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m. The DUI Checkpoint will be conducted on December 19 from 7:00 p.m. until 2:00 a.m.

Additionally, police, sheriff and the CHP throughout the region are deploying multiple DUI operations in overtime to increase DUI arrests.

The facts are grim: in December 2012 there were 830 people killed in crashes involving at least one driver or motorcycle operator with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher; 26 of those deaths occurred on Christmas Day. On average, a third (31%) of all crash fatalities in America involves drunk driving. But on Christmas day 2012, the percentage jumped to 36 percent. Every year, more than 10,322 people are killed by drunk drivers in America, with 802 of those in California alone. In California, an additional 24,000 are seriously injured.

Some startling data from NHTSA shows that during the holiday season in 2012, 40 percent of the drunk drivers involved in fatal crashes had at least one prior DUI on their record. And many offenders are young drivers: during that same holiday period 37 percent of the 21- to 24-year old drivers in fatal crashes were drunk. Surprisingly, almost 1 out of 6 drivers under the age of 21 in those fatal crashes were also drunk, even though they’re too young to legally buy or consume alcohol.

If you’re drinking and driving, law enforcement will be out to find and arrest you – no warnings, no excuses. The only way to truly avoid a DUI is to drive sober. There are many ways to get home safely after drinking, and driving isn’t one of them. Designate a sober driver ahead of time, or call a friend or family member. You could also use public transportation, or call a taxi. The cost of cab fare is nothing compared to a $10,000 DUI or the cost of someone’s life, and the ‘inconvenience’ of not driving your own car home is nothing compared to the inconvenience of spending the holidays behind bars.

This holiday season don’t let the festivities turn into fatalities. Funding is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration who reminds everyone; Report Drunk Drivers! – Call 9-1-1. The Office of Traffic Safety is offering a free mobile app – DDVIP – aimed at thanking the sober designated driver with perks and free offers at area bars and restaurants.