Six Arrested for DUI During Weekend Enforcement Efforts

The Redlands Police Department arrested five drivers for driving under the influence during a sobriety/drivers license checkpoint Friday, January 31. Another driver was arrested for DUI during a targeted saturation patrol on Super Bowl Sunday, February 2. A total of 183 vehicles passed through the checkpoint in the southbound lanes of Tennessee Street at Park Avenue. In addition to the DUI arrests, two drivers were cited for driving on suspended licenses. Two drivers were also cited for driving without a license and one for running a stop sign during the Sunday saturation patrol. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 32,367 people were killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes across the nation in 2011, and 31 percent (9,878) of those fatalities occurred in drunk-driving-related crashes. Californians witnessed a total of 2,835 deaths with 774 killed in DUI crashes on their streets and highways. Drunk drivers often face jail time, the loss of their driver licenses, higher insurance rates, and dozens of other unanticipated expenses ranging from attorney fees, court costs, car towing and repairs to lost wages due to time off from work. Even worse, a drunk driver can cause a traffic crash that claims someone’s life, or their own. The Redlands Police Department wants to remind drivers of these important tips: • Even one drink can impair your judgment and increase the risk of getting arrested for driving drunk - or worse, the risk of having a crash while driving. • If you will be drinking, do not plan on driving. Plan ahead; designate a sober driver before the party begins. • If you have been drinking, do not drive. Call a taxi, phone a sober friend or family member or use public transportation. • Be responsible. If someone you know is drinking, do not let that person get behind the wheel. • If you see an impaired driver on the road, contact law enforcement. Your actions may save someone’s life, and inaction could cost a life. Remember, it is never safe to drink and drive: Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over. Funding for these checkpoints is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that reminds everyone: Report Drunk Drivers! Call 9-1-1. DUI checkpoints are a component of the Redlands Police Department’s Responsible Redlands initiative. The Redlands Police Department, with the support of state agencies, including the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control and Office of Traffic Safety, the County of San Bernardino, and local businesses and community groups, launched the initiative in late August to focus on enforcing alcohol laws. The Responsible Redlands initiative aims to curb the problems related to binge and underage drinking in Redlands in order to achieve a safer, healthier community. The campaign includes DUI checkpoints and saturation patrols to identify intoxicated drivers, party patrols to enforce the City’s Social Host Ordinance, decoy operations to cite businesses and individuals who provide alcohol to underage persons and educational efforts for local businesses that serve alcohol. Responsible Redlands welcomes partnerships with alcohol retailers and establishments that serve alcohol. The Responsible Redlands initiative addresses problems related to binge and underage drinking through ongoing strategic operations to enforce alcohol laws. It is a collaborative effort formed and led by the Redlands Police Department, supported by the Common Vision Coalition, local businesses and the State Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control District Office and State Office of Traffic Safety.