Colton Police Launch Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over Program

As summer winds down, the Colton Police Department is amplifying its enforcement efforts as part of a national crackdown on drunk driving, Colton police officials said in a news release. The 18-day, high-visibility campaign, Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over, is a partnership with the California Office of Traffic Safety to curb impaired driving and save lives. From Aug. 21 through Sept. 7, Labor Day, law enforcement partners in San Bernardino County, across the state and nationwide will show zero tolerance for drunk driving. Increased state and national messaging about the dangers of driving drunk, coupled with checkpoints and increased officers on the road, aim to drastically reduce the toll of drunk driving. Police officials said in 2013, there were 10,076 people killed in drunk–driving crashes, almost a third of all traffic fatalities according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). In California, 867 died in drunk driving collisions according to NHTSA. Thirty-eight percent of crash fatalities on Labor Day weekend that year involved drunk drivers with a Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) of .08 percent or higher. Statistics provided by Colton police said more than a quarter, 27 percent, of the crash fatalities that occurred on Labor Day weekend involved drivers with BACs of .15 or higher – almost twice the illegal limit. The Colton Police Department kicks off Friday night with special DUI Saturation Patrols. On Friday, Aug. 28, the Colton Police Deparment will deploy a DUI/Drivers License checkpoint in Colton and the DUI enforcement saturation patrols will continue through Monday, Sept. 7, with more DUI enforcement on various nights throughout the month. NHTSA data shows that repeat offenders are an especially dangerous facet of the drunk-driving problem. In the month of August from 2009-2013, of the drunk drivers involved in fatal crashes, almost 1 out of 10 (8 percent) of them had already been convicted of at least one drunk-driving offense, according to data provided by the Colton police department. Law enforcement officials advise residents to designate a sober driver or call a cab. Recent statistics reveal that 30 percent of drivers in fatal crashes had one or more drugs in their systems, according to a release issued by Colton police. A study of active drivers showed more tested positive for drugs that may impair driving (14 percent) than did for alcohol (7.3 percent). Of the drugs, marijuana was most prevalent, at 7.4 percent, slightly more than alcohol. Everyone should be mindful that if you’re taking medication – whether prescription or over-the-counter – drinking even small amounts of alcohol can greatly intensify the impairment affects.