Sheriff Cruising Lamorinda -- and the Rest of the County -- Looking for Impaired Drivers

We shouldn't have to tell you this, but don't drink and drive this Holiday Season. To drive that message home, a spokesman for the Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office said Wednesday that deputies will be looking for impaired drivers across the county and paying particular attention to those found to be too intoxicated to drive.

Sheriff's spokesman Jimmy Lee said deputies will be out in force from December 16 to January 2 of the coming New Year -- and they have orders to arrest anyone caught driving impaired.

Numerous DUI/driver’s license checkpoints, multi-agency anti-DUI task force deployments and roving anti-DUI patrols are scheduled locally in partnership with law enforcement statewide and around the country during the winter holiday anti-DUI campaign, Lee wrote.

More than 753 people were killed nationwide in crashes that involved drivers or motorcycle riders with blood alcohol concentrations of .08 or higher, according to statistics supplied by Lee. In California, 57 people died on streets and highways.

"The message is simple - Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over. Drinking alcohol or being under the influence of drugs do not mix with driving. If you plan to consume alcohol, you should also plan not to get behind the wheel of a
vehicle or ride a motorcycle,” said Captain Elise Warren of the Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff.

The national Drive 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 education.

Visit Avoid the 25 DUI for enforcement schedules and daily DUI arrest statistics and remember to report drunk drivers by calling 911.