Law Enforcement to Step Up Drunk Driving Patrols for Cinco de Mayo Weekend

With Cinco de Mayo falling on a Saturday this year, along with the highly-anticipated Floyd Mayweather and Miguel Cotto boxing match, Los Angeles County police agencies will be deploying saturation patrols throughout the county for any post-fiesta drivers.

Local venues have planned special reduce rates for drinks creating the probability for even higher numbers of intoxicated driver for a weekend night. The Avoid the 100 Los Angeles County DUI Task Force began deploying drunken driving saturation patrols throughout the county at 6 p.m. Friday, according to a Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department statement.

"Saving lives, reducing injuries, traffic collisions and property damage is important work,'' said Sheriff Lee Baca. "Every life is a life worth saving and we will do our utmost to help keep the public safe.''

Additionally, the California Highway Patrol will be deploying saturation patrols onto freeways and unincorporated county jurisdictions to stop, test and arrest impaired drivers who fail to use a designated driver. Statistics indicate the greatest number of drunken driving deaths occur late Saturday nights and early Sunday mornings, according to a department statement.

"In this day and age, there is no excuse for driving drunk,'' said Christopher J. Murphy, Director of the California Office of Traffic Safety. "Before heading out for the celebration, just take one minute to designate your sober driver.''

- with reporting from City News Service