Drunk and drugged driving remains the number one killer on our roadways, with 1,197 alcohol involved deaths and over 23,000 injuries reported statewide in 2013. The “Avoid the 23” DUI Task Force will be combating this deadly problem through DUI enforcement efforts in San Mateo County. The Daly City Police Department will be administering a recent $177,000 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety for the entire county.
“The Daly City Police Department encourages people to drink responsibly, use designated drivers or public transportation and to buckle up and stay alive. DUI laws will be strictly enforced”, says Chief Manuel Martinez Jr.
The “Avoid the 23” DUI Task Force is named to send the message that if you don’t drink or use drugs and drive, you will avoid getting arrested by any of the “23” (now 17) participating law enforcement agencies in the county.
The grant activities will specifically target those who get behind the wheel after drinking too much or using drugs that impair driving. Officers from law enforcement agencies across the county will jointly staff DUI/Driver License Checkpoints and roving DUI saturation patrols. Additionally, funding will target the “worst of the worst” repeat DUI offenders with Warrant/Probation Sweep Operations focusing on DUI offenders with outstanding warrants for DUI.
“Overall, California’s roadways are among the safest in the nation,” said OTS Director Rhonda Craft. “But to meet future mobility, safety, and accessible transportation objectives, we have to reverse this recent trend in order to reach our common goal – zero deaths on our roadways. The Office of Traffic Safety and the Avoid DUI Task Force want to work with everyone to create a culture of traffic safety across San Mateo County and the state.”
Motorists can expect to see special DUI campaigns during the winter and summer holiday periods as well as on Halloween, Thanksgiving Eve, Super Bowl Sunday, St. Patrick’s Day, Cinco de Mayo and during local special events with identified DUI Problems. Funding for the grant comes from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Agencies participating in the “Avoid the 23” taskforce include:
Atherton Police Department
Belmont Police Department
Brisbane Police Department
Broadmoor Police Department
Burlingame Police Department
Colma Police Department
Daly City Police Department
East Palo Alto Police Department
Foster City Police Department
Hillsborough Police Department
Menlo Park Police Department
Pacifica Police Department
Redwood City Police Department
San Bruno Police Department
San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office
San Mateo Police Department
South San Francisco Police Department
