We warned you that law enforcement would be out in full force over the weekend to make sure New Year’s celebrations stay out of the driver’s seat.
Unfortunately, nearly 250 drivers reportedly didn’t heed our warning and were arrested on suspicion of DUI, reports NBC Los Angeles.
The New Year’s weekend DUI crackdown was conducted by the California Highway Patrol, which reported arresting 248 motorists in Los Angeles County alone. The number represents a nine percent increase from 2010.
The Golden State as a whole didn't fare any better. The CHP has reported 1,181 DUI arrests thus far, which is already an increase from the 961 DUI arrests reported last year, according to NBC Los Angeles.
The CHP's "maximum enforcement" holiday crackdown ran in conjunction with Los Angeles County's "Avoid the 100" anti-DUI campaign, which ran until Sunday, Jan. 1. The campaign reportedly included 31 DUI checkpoints and 202 DUI saturation patrols all geared towards preventing drunk driving.
"Our goal is to get the DUI driver off the road before they kill or injure innocent victims, other motorists or quite possibly themselves as well," Sgt. Denise Joslin, a CHP spokeswoman, told NBC Los Angeles.
In L.A. County, two people died on L.A. County freeways in traffic-related deaths, while 18 people died statewide, according to the CHP.
We hope you rang in the New Year safely and - if you were the designated driver - soberly. However, if you were one of the couple of hundred people arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence this New Year's weekend, you should consider speaking with an experienced Los Angeles DUI attorney.
It's probably not a good sign to start off the year with a criminal record.
Related Resources:
- Find a Los Angeles DUI Attorney (FindLaw)
- New Year's Drunk Driving Down in San Diego County; Up, Orange County (Los Angeles Times)
- DUI Checkpoints (FindLaw)
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