Avoid the 12: Holiday Crackdown
updated: Dec 13, 2012, 4:00 PM

Source: Santa Barbara Sheriff's Department

‘AVOID the 12' - Santa Barbara County's DUI Task Force Plans Holiday Crackdown to Stop Impaired Driving and Save Lives

Santa Barbara County, CA - Heads up to holiday party-goers! To help save lives this holiday season, officers from your 12 local law enforcement agencies are launching a special "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" crackdown to stop impaired drivers and to save lives on our roadways.

The Santa Barbara County DUI ‘AVOID the 12' Task Force is announcing that officers and deputies will be aggressively looking for impaired drivers and will arrest anyone caught driving under the influence.

Enforcement efforts within the county will include: 8 DUI/Driver's License Checkpoints, 18 DUI

saturation patrols, a Multi-Agency DUI Taskforce strike team patrol, a DUI Warrant/ Probations sweep and a Court Sting.

The CHP will deploy all available officers during two Maximum Enforcement Periods - Christmas and New Year's Weekends. The special enforcement crackdown will run from December 14, 2012, through January 1, 2013.

"Lots of folks will be out during this busy holiday season, enjoying themselves and the holiday festivities, and we want everyone to be safe on our roadways." said Sgt. Kevin Huddle of the Santa Barbara Sheriff's Office. "That's why we will be stepping up enforcement to catch and arrest impaired drivers. Please be forewarned. If you are caught driving impaired, you will be arrested. No warnings. No excuses."

During 2010, more than 10,000 people were killed nationwide in motor vehicle traffic crashes involving an impaired driver and in Californian 791 people died on our state's streets and highways. In Santa Barbara County - 8 individuals were killed in drunk driving wrecks in 2011.

The holiday season is a particularly dangerous time. During December 2010, 30 percent of all fatalities in motor vehicle traffic crash involved alcohol-impaired drivers. Data also shows that among those alcohol-impaired-driving fatalities, 71 percent occurred when drivers had nearly twice the legal limit blood alcohol concentration of .15 % BAC or higher.

"No one ever thinks that their holiday celebration will end in jail, or worse, in a hospital or the morgue," said Sgt. Huddle. "But for those who include alcohol in their celebrations and then get behind the wheel, this is too often the case."

Heads Up - violators face jail time, loss of driver license, and steep financial consequences such as higher insurance rates, attorney fees, court costs, lost time at work, and the potential loss of job.

The ‘AVOID he 12' Coalition said there are three simple steps people can take to stay safe and out of trouble:

1. Plan ahead. If you will be drinking, do not plan on driving. Designate a sober driver or find another safe way home. Even one too many drinks increases the risk of a crash while driving a motor vehicle.

2. If you are impaired, find another way home. Use a taxi, call a sober friend or family member, use public transportation

3. Be responsible. If someone you know is drinking, do not let them get behind the wheel. If you see an impaired driver on the road, Report Them - Call 911! Your actions may save someone's life, and inaction could cost a life.

"We want everyone to enjoy their holidays, but we also want our roadways to be safe," said Christopher J. Murphy, Director of the California Office of Traffic Safety. "Police, Sheriffs and the CHP will be out in force to help save lives, and they are not going to tolerate impaired driving. So remember, ‘Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.' They will be watching."

The national Driver Sober or Get Pulled Over crackdown is led by the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) and NHTSA, with the California Avoid DUI Task Force Campaign combining high- visibility enforcement and heightened public awareness through publicity. The program is funded by the California Office of Traffic Safety.

‘AVOID the 12', along with the other agencies throughout the county, is announcing its upcoming enforcement operations for the Winter Holiday DUI Campaign. The following schedule of operations, dates, and locations are provided for broadcast.

Fri, Dec 14th, DUI/DL CHECKPOINT 1800-0300, City of Goleta

Fri, Dec 14th, DUI/DL CHECKPOINT 1800-0300, City of Santa Barbara

Fri, Dec 14th, DUI Saturation Patrols 1800-0200, City of Lompoc

Fri, Dec 14th, DUI Saturation Patrols 1800-0200, City of Santa Barbara

Fri, Dec 14th, DUI Saturation Patrols 1800-0200, City of Guadalupe

Sat, Dec 15th, DUI/DL CHECKPOINT, 1800-0300, City of Santa Barbara

Sat, Dec 15th, DUI/DL CHECKPOINT, 1800-0300, City of Lompoc

Sat, Dec 15th, DUI Saturation Patrols 1900-0300, City of Goleta

Week of Dec 17th, Warrant / Probation Sweep / Court Sting Operations

Thur, Dec 20th, DUI Saturation Patrols 1900-0300, City of Goleta

Thur, Dec 20th, DUI Saturation Patrols 1900-0300, City of Santa Barbara

Fri, Dec 21st DUI/DL CHECKPOINT, 1800-0300, City of Lompoc

Fri, Dec 21st, DUI Saturation Patrols 1900-0300, City of Goleta

Sat, Dec 22nd, DUI Saturation Patrols 1800-0200, City of Lompoc

Fri, Dec 28th, DUI/DL CHECKPOINT 1800-0300, City of Santa Barbara

Fri, Dec 28th, DUI Task Force 1800-0200 City of Santa Maria

Sat, Dec 29th, DUI/DL CHECKPOINT, 1800-0300, City of Santa Barbara

Sat, Dec 29th, DUI Saturation Patrols 1900-0300 City of Goleta

Sat, Dec 29th, DUI Saturation Patrols 1900-0300 City of Guadalupe

Sat, Dec 29th, DUI/DL CHECKPOINT, 1800-0300, City of Santa Maria

Mon, Dec 31st, DUI Saturation Patrols, 1900-0300, City of Goleta

Mon, Dec 31st, DUI Saturation Patrols, 1800-0200, City of Santa Barbara

There are an additional six saturation patrol dates that will be scheduled throughout the county during this campaign period.

Statistical data on the number of DUI arrests and DUI fatal crashes within Santa Barbara County will be released periodically throughout the winter holiday enforcement period of December 14th through January 1st.

Funding for the "Avoid" program is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

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