Holiday Campaign Warns Santa Barbara Motorists to ‘Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over’
Days Through New Year's Are a 'Maximum Enforcement Period' for CHP and Sheriff's Office
Law enforcement officers are spending the holidays on a “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign around Santa Barbara County in the hope of avoiding fatal car crashes from drivers drinking or becoming impaired by drugs, prescription and otherwise.
The days through New Year’s are a “maximum enforcement period” for the California Highway Patrol, and likewise for the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department, which has conducted DUI checkpoints at undisclosed locations.
Santa Barbara City Police advises that, “a few dollars spent on a ride is much cheaper than a DUI, which can cost up to $10,000.” Not to mention being pulled over, spending the night in jail, having your car impounded, and possibly losing a job or security clearance: “We need a commitment from every driver to keep the roads free of drunk drivers so that everyone can have a safe holiday,” said Sergeant Douglas Klug.
December has historically been a dangerous month on the roads. In 2021, 1,013 people died in alcohol-related accidents nationwide, with men almost four times as frequently involved in fatal crashes than women.
Make a plan before you party, Sgt. Klug said. And if your friend is about to drive drunk, take their keys. “They’ll thank you later.”