Sonoma County law enforcement officials will join a national DUI crackdown this month.
The “Avoid the 13” DUI crackdown joins the national annual “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” program.
The Sonoma County Sheriff's Department along with the CHP and local police agencies will launch “Avoid the 13” patrols starting on Friday. The effort runs through Labor Day.
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The crackdown will include high-visibility enforcement throughout Sonoma County and will be augmented by a national advertising campaign.
Petaluma, which is one of the 13 cities involved in the ongoing “Avoid the 13” program, will hold DUI/drivers license checkpoints, roving DUI saturation patrols (every day during the campaign), a DUI warrant/probation sweep and two DUI Court Stings targeting suspended drivers who were ordered by the judge not to drive.
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The local effort will also feature a multi-agency strike team operations.
Penalties for impaired driving include jail sentences, and license suspensions, insurance-rate hikes, and fines and fees that can exceed $10,000.
“We want to remind everyone that getting behind the wheel drunk is a terrible idea,” Petaluma Police Chief Patrick Williams said in a prepared statement.
“Unfortunately, not only does drinking impair your ability to operate a vehicle safely, it also impairs your judgment and good sense about whether you can, or should drive.
“If you have any doubt about your sobriety, do not get behind the wheel. If you do chose to drive impaired, you will be arrested. No warnings. No excuses,”
The Avoid the 13 DUI Task Force is funded by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
