Union City Holiday DUI Crackdown Underway

UNION CITY, CA — The Union City Police Department has launched a "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over?" enforcement campaign.

UCPD Sgt. Stan Rodrigues wants the public to know that from Dec. 14 through New Year’s Day, Union City Police will have additional officers on patrol looking for drivers suspected of being under the influence of alcohol or drugs. It is part of a national campaign with the goal of stopping suspected impaired drivers who put others on the road at risk.

Rodrigues quotes National Highway Traffic Safety Administration statistics that show 11,654 people were killed in car crashes nationwide in 2020 that involved an alcohol-impaired driver — one person every 45 minutes.

Impaired driving includes marijuana, prescription medications and over-the-counter drugs.

"The holidays are a special time of year for many, and we want drivers to act responsibly," Rodrigues said. "This enforcement period allows us to get the message out that driving impaired is an illegal, senseless behavior that takes lives."

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