Central Coast drivers should expect more stop-and-go traffic through Labor Day.
The Santa Maria Police Department is joining other law enforcement agencies across California in an effort to step up DUI enforcement at the end of the summer season, Police Chief Ralph Martin announced in an Aug. 11 press release.
During the crackdown period, there will be more officers on the roads and more DUI checkpoints throughout the state.
“Those caught driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs will be arrested,” Martin said in the release.
The department’s traffic bureau will be conducting checkpoints from 7 p.m. to 3 a.m. on Aug. 16 and 31 at undisclosed locations in the city.
“Lives are often shattered when people operate a vehicle while under the influence of drugs or alcohol,” Commander Phil Hansen said in the release. “In recent months, our community has suffered greatly from the selfish and criminal acts of impaired drivers.”
Santa Maria High School tennis star Jade Dodson died in June after a suspected impaired driver ran a red light and ran into the car in which Dodson was riding. There have been similarly tragic accidents in Lompoc and the Santa Ynez Valley.
“Don’t let this summer holiday turn into a tragedy or a visit to jail. Santa Maria police officers will be alert and unrelenting in searching for those who endanger others by driving impaired by alcohol or drugs,” Hansen said.
According to information provided by the department, 774 California drivers with a blood alcohol content of .08 or higher were killed in alcohol-impaired crashes in 2011. A first-time DUI conviction can cost up to $10,000 in fines, legal fees, and insurance increases.
The additional checkpoints are paid for by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety.
This article appears in Aug 15-22, 2013.