'Drive Sober Or Get Pulled Over' Campaign Kicks Off Friday In North Bay

SAN RAFAEL, CA – Police are warning drivers to drive sober or get pulled over as summer comes to an end. Law enforcement agencies in San Rafael and across California will combine resources to watch for impaired drivers as part of the annual "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" initiative that begins Aug. 18 and runs through through Sept. 4.

In an effort to deter impaired driving, the San Rafael Police Department is partnering with police, sheriff and California Highway Patrol personnel to conduct high-visibility enforcement efforts through the Labor Day holiday, which San Rafael Lt. Roy Leon said is one of the deadliest, with alcohol- and drug-impaired drivers on America’s roadways.

DUI saturation patrols will deploy between 6 p.m. and 2 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 18 and Friday, Sept. 1 in areas with high frequency DUI arrests and/or collisions.

Police will be on the lookout for drivers with signs of alcohol and/or drug impairment, Leon said.

"These extra officers on the road, along with routine patrols, are aimed to drastically reduce impaired driving in our community's roadways," Leon said.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 10,265 people were killed in drunk-driving crashes in 2015, a 3 percent increase in deaths over 2014.

"That’s roughly one person killed every 51 minutes in 2015. That’s the equivalent of 20 jumbo jets crashing each year, with no survivors," Leon said. "This is why the San Rafael Police Department is working to remind drivers that impaired driving is not only illegal, it is a matter of life and death."

Drivers are encouraged to designate a driver, use alternative methods of transportation and download the Designated Driver VIP, or "DDVIP," a free mobile app for Android and iPhone. The app helps find nearby bars and restaurants that feature free incentives for designated sober drivers.

DUI arrests can include jail time, fines, fees, DUI classes, license suspensions and other expenses that can exceed $10,000.

The campaign is funded by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Patch file photo by Renee Schiavone