 Jeri Williams Chief of Police |
Oxnard Police Department
R. Jason Benites Scott Whitney |
OXNARD POLICE DEPARTMENT
NEWS RELEASE
| INCIDENT: | Lead Up to Labor Day Brings DUI Crackdown to Ventura County |
| DATE/TIME: | August 15 through September 1, 2014 |
| LOCATION: | County of Ventura |
| PREPARED BY: |
Brian Woolley, Traffic Sergeant, (805) 385-7847 [email protected] |
|
CONTACT PERSON & CONTACT INFO: |
Jamie Brown, Traffic Coordinator (805) 385-7749 [email protected] |
DETAILS: Labor Day weekend is coming up. For many Americans, that means an extra day off, backyard and beach barbecues, visiting friends and family, and the unofficial end of the summer season. Unfortunately, it also means a sharp increase in drunk-driving-related fatalities. Starting August 15 and continuing through September 1, Ventura County police departments, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department and the California Highway Patrol will be aggressively targeting drunk and drugged drivers as part of a nationwide effort to end impaired driving and save lives. The Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign will pair increased public awareness with high-visibility enforcement, resulting in fewer drunk drivers on Ventura County roads.
The Ventura County Avoid the 14 DUI Task Force will be aggressively looking for impaired drivers throughout the county with plans in place for three DUI/Driver’s License Checkpoints, a Multi-Agency DUI Task Force Operation, several local roving DUI Saturation Patrols, a DUI Warrant/Probation Sweep and a DUI Court Sting targeting suspended drivers who were ordered not to drive by a judge. (**See schedule of operations below**)
In 2012, there were 10,322 people killed in drunk-driving crashes in the United States. Over Labor Day weekend that year, 147 lost their lives to a drunk driver, more than a third (38 percent) of all traffic fatalities that weekend.
Out of all the crash fatalities that weekend, one in four were attributed to drivers with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level of .15 percent or higher – almost twice the legal limit in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Every 51 minutes, someone is killed in a drunk-driving crash. Over the Labor Day weekend, those fatalities increase to one every 34 minutes. Nighttime is especially dangerous; almost half (46 percent) of the fatalities in nighttime crashes over the Labor Day weekend involved a driver with a BAC of .08 or higher, compared to 25 percent in daytime fatal crashes.
Young drivers are overrepresented in drunk-driving crashes, too. Among drivers between the ages of 18 and 34 killed in motor vehicle crashes during the 2012 Labor Day weekend, almost half (48 percent) had a .08 percent BAC or higher. For drivers under 21, anything above a BAC of .00 is illegal.
This Labor Day weekend don’t let the festivities turn into fatalities. Remember that, aside from the obvious risks of killing yourself or someone else, driving impaired can also lead to serious punitive consequences. A DUI arrest can mean time in jail, loss of your license, and steep financial expenses; the average DUI conviction can cost up to $10,000.
Ventura County Avoid the 14 DUI Task Force 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 – DDVIPCA.COM – aimed at thanking the sober designated driver with perks and free offers at area bars and restaurants.
Schedule of Operations:
- Friday, Aug 15th, DUI/DL Checkpoint 2000-0200 hrs, City of Oxnard
- Saturday, Aug 16th, DUI/DL Checkpoint, 2100-0300 hrs, City of Thousand Oaks
- DUI/DL Checkpoint, City of Ventura, To Be Determined
- Friday, Aug 29th, Multi-Agency DUI Task Force Operation, 2100-0300 hrs, Ventura County
DATE / TIME PREPARED: August 18, 2014 / 1245 hours
