For further information, contact:
Jan Ford, Public Information
Avoid the 8
Law Enforcement in San Francisco
(650) 322-9121 Cell: (650) 269-2148

THREE SOBRIETY CHECKPOINTS, CHP FREEWAY SATURATION SET FOR SAN FRANCISCO DURING 17-DAY D.U.I. CRACKDOWN

 Campaign starts Friday, Dec. 18

  A sobriety checkpoint set for San Francisco on Saturday, Dec. 19, kicks off the 17-day winter holiday crackdown on drunk drivers.

The Avoid the 8 multi-jurisdictional enforcement effort ends on Sunday, Jan. 3, said Lt. Jim Calonico of the San Francisco Police Department’s Traffic Company. Further checkpoints are set for two consecutive Sundays, Dec. 27 and Jan.3. SFPD will run DUI saturation patrols several times during the holidays.

“We arrested 121 DUI suspects during a similar period last year,” he commented. “We hope that total will drop because people are too smart to drink and drive. The foolproof method of avoiding arrest is to designate one person in your party who will stay completely sober and drive everyone else home.”

California Highway Patrol officers from the San Francisco and Marin County offices will flood the freeways around Christmas and New Year’s Day, said Capt. Paul Fontana of the San Francisco squad. The Marin squad covers the Golden Gate Bridge and its approaches.

The crackdown is part of a nine-county, 125-department Bay Area Avoid coalition. Similar Avoid campaigns are in force in 41 of the state’s 58 counties.

“Drunk driving is simply not worth the risk. Not only do you risk killing yourself or someone else, but the trauma and financial costs of a crash or an arrest for impaired driving can be significant,” said Director Christopher J. Murphy of the California Office of Traffic Safety, which funds the campaign through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

“Violators often face jail time, the loss of their driver’s license, higher insurance rates, attorney’s fees, time away from work and dozens of other expenses. So don’t take the chance. Remember, if you are at the limit or over the limit, you are under arrest.”
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