Drive Safe and Sober this Fourth of July Weekend

This Fourth of July weekend, more Berkeley police and Alameda County CHP officers will be on the road looking for drivers under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Saturation patrol locations are undisclosed, but one will be at the University of California, Berkeley campus. There will also be sobriety checkpoints in Oakland. 

In Alameda County, four local California Highway Patrol offices will assign all of their available officers to the freeway. 

Saturation patrols began in San Francisco on Friday night and will continue until Monday. On Saturday, there will be a sobriety checkpoint at Lombard and Divisadero streets from 8:30 p.m. to 3 a.m.

Increased police and CHP presence is a result of the California Avoid campaign to deter driving under the influence.

During the Fourth of July weekend in 2009, seven Californians died and 352 were injured in automobile accidents that involved drivers who were under the influence. Nationwide, 410 people died in crashes and 40 percent of those accidents involved drunk drivers.

Authorities advise those planning to attend Fourth of July festivities to choose a designated driver in advance, plan to call a taxi or take public transportation, and report drunk drivers by calling 911.