Los Angeles County Officials Cracking Down on Holiday Drunk Drivers

Los Angeles County law enforcement will be out in full force this holiday season. According to a recent news report in The Culver City Patch, local law enforcement officials and anti-DUI task forces will conduct 32 DUI checkpoints and 202 DUI patrols between now and January 1, 2012 in Los Angeles County. Officials say they will deploy the roving patrols and conduct the checkpoints at locations that are known to have a higher number of drunk drivers. During a similar campaign in the year 2010, there were 2,406 DUI arrests made countywide.

The article states that in December of 2009 there were 753 nationwide DUI fatalities, 57 of which occurred in California. The Los Angeles County crackdown on drunk driving is a direct response to these staggering numbers. Unfortunately, whenever there is a massive crackdown on drunk driving, there is an increased risk of innocent drivers being wrongfully accused of driving under the influence.

There are many potential mistakes in a DUI saturation patrol arrest or DUI checkpoint. It is common for officers to see signs of intoxication where it does not exist and for sobriety tests to be conducted by officers who are not properly trained or qualified to accurately determine the results.

The Los Angeles DUI defense attorneys at Sitkoff & Hanrahan have a long history of successfully handling drunk driving charges. If you or a loved one is charged with driving while under the influence of alcohol this holiday season, please call our offices at 866-430-8383 to schedule your no-cost consultation and case evaluation.