Drive Sober Or Get Pulled Over In Rancho Santa Margarita

RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA, CA — The Orange County Sheriff’s Department encourages everyone attending holiday parties and gatherings where alcohol may be involved to use a designated sober driver.

This holiday season, through New Year’s, the Sheriff’s Department will have more deputies on patrol looking for drivers suspected of being under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.

The Sheriff’s Department will hold a DUI/Driver’s License checkpoint on Friday, December 20, from 7 p.m. to time 3 a.m. at an undisclosed location in the city of Rancho Santa Margarita.

The Sheriff’s Department reminds the public that impaired driving is not just from alcohol. Prescription medications, over-the-counter drugs and marijuana can also impair, especially in combination with alcohol and other drugs.

If you are hosting a holiday party, offer non-alcoholic drinks for designated sober drivers and monitor how people are getting home. If someone has been drinking and tries to leave, offer to have them stay the night or take ride-share home.

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