DUI Checkpoints Planned Across Central Coast
Its the season to be jolly and have a cup of cheer.
Local law enforcement is out to remind everyone to do so in moderation or else face the possibility of having too good a time ruin the holidays for you and your family.
Lompoc Police took to their community access television airwaves Thursday night to introduce the new Police Chief Pat Walsh to the community and try to convince as many viewers as possible that drinking and driving over the holiday season can lead to a dead end.
Lompoc PD enlisted the help of volunteers to drink alcohol as part of a demonstration to show the dangers of drinking and driving under the influence and over the legal limit.
“We really stress for everyone to have a good time but to do it responsibly”, said Lompoc Police Department Sgt. Chuck Strange during the “Police Beat” program aired over the Lompoc community access channel on the local cable system.
The volunteers went through the paces of a standard field sobriety test which can lead to arrest and incarceration for driving a motor vehicle while under the influence at or beyond the .08 BAC level.
The Lompoc PD annual DUI awareness show on the community access station is targeted mainly at motorists looking to enjoy holiday parties.
“Just so people can kind of get it into perspective, if you want a taxi ride home, how much do you think a taxi ride costs?”, Sgt. Strange asked the viewing audience, “I believe here in Lompoc the taxi ride is between 8 and 10 dollars, as opposed to a DUI which will run you around 10-12 thousand dollars.”
Last year Lompoc Police made nearly 240 DUI arrests compared with more than 230,000 across the state of California during the same period.
“This is the holidays, everybody has parties and you get together, you don’t even think about it, you might drink too much”, said new Lompoc Police Chief Pat Walsh, “that is not the way to end your holiday by getting arrested for drunk driving.”
“Be safe out there”, Sgt. Strange said, “the whole point again is to enjoy the holidays, celebrate your time with your family but be very careful and responsible with it.”
DUI checkpoints are planned across the Central Coast between now and the end of the New Year’s holiday weekend.
