Holiday Drunk Driving Crackdown in Orange County
During the holiday season, law enforcement is cracking down on drunk drivers. In Orange County alone, there were 340 DUI arrests and 4 DUI related fatalities between Dec. 17th and Dec. 26th. Statewide, over 658 DUI arrests were made over the Christmas weekend. The Automotive Club states that over "211,000 drivers were arrested for the offense" and "more than 27,000 people were killed or injured in alcohol-related crashes last weekend". With an increase of 18% since 2001 in DUI arrests, Orange County residence need to be aware of the dangers of drinking while driving.
To raise awareness and protect drivers during the end of the year, the campaign "Avoid" is designed to maximizing enforcement through January 2nd. Together with California Highway Patrol and the Orange County Sheriff's Department, police departments will be making sure to keep drunk drivers off of the roads.
Several agencies are providing free services to decrease the dangers of drunk driving.
- Automotive Club is offering a free Tipsy Tow service starting Dec. 31st at 6 p.m. to Jan. 1st, 6 a.m. Contact the Automotive Club at 1-800-400-4AAA for a free tow home up to 7 miles.
- Orange County Transportation Authority is offering free bus rides starting Dec. 31st at 6 p.m. to Jan. 1st, 2:30am
