Police officers, deputy sheriffs and California Highway Patrol officers have arrested 105 people in Santa Barbara County on suspicion of DUI during the 17-day Avoid the 12 winter mobilization period, which began Dec. 16.

All of the agencies throughout the county will be out looking for DUI drivers during the New Year’s Day weekend. Two DUI/driver’s license checkpoints are planned from 7 p.m. to 3 .m. Friday in Santa Barbara. A checkpoint is also planned for Saturday in Santa Maria. Additional DUI patrols should be expected in all of the cities throughout the county.

On Friday, a Santa Barbara man pleaded guilty to a DUI charge and was advised in court that he’s not allowed to drive unless he has a valid driver’s license. His license had been suspended as of Christmas Day because of his DUI arrest.

After leaving court, the man was observed driving out of a nearby parking garage. When stopped by deputies, the man handed over his court papers and the paper indicating that his driver’s license was suspended. The man was cited for driving on a suspended driver’s license and his vehicle was towed on a 30-day hold.

There were 23 drivers arrested on suspicion of DUI over the Christmas weekend, down from 30 drivers arrested last Christmas weekend.

One of the 23 DUI arrests was a driver stopped in Santa Maria who had three prior convictions for DUI in the past 10 years. He is being held in the Santa Barbara County Jail on $100,000 bail.

“The bad news is that driving while impaired is deadly and very expensive,” said Senior Deputy Jeff Farmer of the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department and Avoid the 12 grant coordinator. “The good news is that it’s completely preventable. Just plan ahead and either use a sober driver or take a cab.”

The national Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over crackdown is led by the California Office of Traffic Safety and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, with the California Avoid DUI Task Force Campaign combining high-visibility enforcement and heightened public awareness through publicity.

Click here for statewide and local Avoid DUI Task Force Campaign enforcement schedules and daily DUI arrest/fatal stats. Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Drivers are reminded to call 9-1-1 if they see a suspected drunken driver.
         
— Kevin Huddle is a sergeant with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department.