Don’t rely on luck to get home safely during the St. Patrick’s Day weekend. Celebrate responsibly or else you might feel the pinch of a drunk-driving ticket.
The Avoid the 14 DUI Task Force will be working alongside regular patrol officers Saturday looking for drunk drivers throughout the county, said sheriff’s Lt. David Gilmore. The task force, named for the 14 member law enforcement agencies, will be patrolling in neighborhoods around bars, said Gilmore.
The task force will also hold two sobriety checkpoints between 6 p.m. and 2 a.m. at undisclosed locations in Encinitas and Imperial Beach Friday night, he said.
And yet, a ticket would not be the worst consequence of drinking and driving. Last year on St. Patrick’s Day weekend, three people were killed and 96 motorists were seriously injured in drunk driving collisions across the state, according to the California Office of Traffic Safety.
“Whether you are meeting a few friends at the local pub after work or attending a local event or party, if alcohol is part of the festivities, make sure you designate a sober driver to get you home safely,” said Sheriff Bill Gore. “Even if you think you’ve had only a few drinks and are just feeling ‘buzzed,’ don’t kid yourself because buzzed driving is drunk driving.”
Law enforcement officers offer these safety tips so that everyone can have a safe St. Patrick’s Day weekend.
- Before the festivities begin plan a safe way home and designate a sober driver.
- Use your community’s sober ride program.
- If you happen to see a drunk driver on the road, call 911. Don’t hesitate to report them.
- If you know people who are about to drive or ride while impaired, take their keys and help them make other arrangements to get home safely.
The San Diego County Sheriff’s and Probation departments are among the 14 member agencies that make up the San Diego task force. The checkpoint operations and roving patrols are funded through grants from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
