Police cracking down on drunk drivers through the New Year

Police say if you do plan on drinking during your holiday season, call a cab or have a designated driver.

That’s the message New York State Police are trying to get across to drivers as they launch a drunk driving crack down through January 1st.

As part of the national Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over enforcement campaign period, police will be increasing the number of patrols, setting up checkpoints, and asking media to reach out to all drivers.

In order to stop drunk drivers on area roadways, the sheriff’s office will have increased checkpoints and increased officers on the roads. In Dec. 2013 alone there were 733 people killed in crashes involving at least one driver or motorcycle operator with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of. 23 of those deaths occurred on Christmas Day. That month in California, the release said, there were 98 deaths and another 1,852 injuries resulting from alcohol-involved collisions. Remember, even if you only have a little bit to drink and think you’re “okay to drive”, you could still be over the legal limit, because Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving.

That’s why Hope Police Departmentis joining with highway safety partners and law enforcement organizations across the country this December to remind everyone that Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving, and that drinking and driving don’t mix. Sure, most drivers have heard the phrase before.

– Before you take your first sip of alcohol, have your plan in place.

Christianson said everyone should be mindful that medication – whether prescription or over-the-counter – can greatly intensify the impairment effects of alcohol. Dont take a chance on a crash or an arrest, designate a sober driver.

If you plan on drinking, do not drive.

“We’ve got to work together to make our roads safer this December and year-round”, Guess said. It is funded through the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee.

If you’re caught drinking and driving you could face jail time, fines, loss of driver’s license, towing fees, and other DUI expenses, totaling $10,000 on average. Call a taxi, phone a sober friend or family member, use public transportation or contact a local designated driver program such as: 1) Fort Carson’s No DUI Response Team.

“Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over ” campaigns reduce impaired-driving fatalities by as much as 20 percent, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the federal agency that funds the campaign.