[Newport Beach, CA]—The holidays are a way to spend time with family and friends while ringing in another year, but also a time when people can sometimes make poor choices that put themselves and others at risk on the road.
To help spread the message about the dangers of drunk and drugged driving, the Newport Beach Police Department is partnering with the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to get impaired drivers off roads.
During the high-visibility enforcement campaign Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over, which runs from December 14 through January 1, the Newport Beach Police Department will have more officers on the road conducting saturation patrols looking for drivers suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.
In addition, the Newport Beach Police Department will hold a DUI checkpoint on December 27, 2018, at an undisclosed location within Newport Beach city limits, looking for signs of alcohol and/or drug impairment, as well as checking drivers for proper licensing.
The Newport Beach Police Department also reminds drivers that “DUI Doesn’t Just Mean Booze.” Marijuana, prescription drugs and over-the-counter medications can also be impairing, especially in combination with alcohol or other drugs.
During the 2017 Christmas (Dec. 22-25) and New Year’s (Dec. 30-Jan. 2) holiday periods, 25 people were killed and 643 were injured on California roads in DUI-related collisions, according to data from the California Highway Patrol (CHP) Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS).
Funding for impaired driving enforcement operations are provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
