ANTELOPE VALLEY – The California Highway Patrol’s annual Labor Day holiday crackdown on drunk and drugged drivers has ended and resulted in a significant number of DUI arrests.
In the Antelope Valley area, CHP officers arrested 13 drivers for DUI during the Labor Day Maximum Enforcement Period, which began at 6 p.m. Friday, Aug. 30 and ended at 11:59 p.m. Monday, Sept. 2, according to public information officer Gil Hernandez.
One of the DUI arrests came from a local CHP sobriety checkpoint, which was conducted Saturday evening and early Sunday morning on Sierra Highway and Avenue Q in Palmdale, Hernandez said.
The local checkpoint and Labor Day enforcement period coincided with the “Summer/Labor Day Avoid DUI” Campaign that began on Aug. 16 and ended Monday.
During the 18-day campaign, 100 county law enforcement agencies conducted sobriety checkpoints, special saturation patrols and routine patrols, which resulted in 2,313 arrests countywide for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
In 2012, 2,098 DUI arrests occurred during the same 18-day period, CHP officials said.
Law enforcement officials will be conducting more DUI enforcement efforts throughout the county and region, during Halloween and Thanksgiving, before planning for the December Winter Campaign periods.
Funding for the program is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
UPDATED: Local CHP DUI CHECKPOINT RESULTS
The following results are from the CHP sobriety checkpoint that was conducted Saturday night and early Sunday morning on Sierra Highway and Avenue Q.
- 826 vehicles traveled through the checkpoint, and 716 vehicles were screened.
- One DUI arrest was made.
- A total of 27 citations were issued.
- 17 to unlicensed drivers.
- Five to suspended/revoked drivers.
- Three for no seat belts.
- One for an unrestraint child.
- Two for littering.
- Two vehicles were impounded.
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