Cinco de Mayo Holiday Puts Officers on Alert for Drunk Drivers

As residents celebrate Cinco de Mayo, local law enforcement authorities are reminding motorists that police officers will be on patrol this weekend looking for suspected drunk drivers.

The Avoid the 100, the countywide anti-DUI task force, will deploy special DUI saturation patrols in several cities across Los Angeles County. All officers assigned on duty this weekend will be on “heightened alert” for drivers suspected of driving under the influence.

According to statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, during the Cinco de Mayo 2011 holiday, 35 percent of motor vehicle fatalities involved an alcohol-impaired driver with a blood alcohol level of .08 and above.

“When people start celebrating, they often aren’t thinking of how they will get home from the restaurant or a friend’s house and they don’t realize how much they’ve had to drink,” said Glendora Police Chief Rob Castro in a written statement. “That’s why we are reminding everyone to play it safe and plan ahead, designate a sober driver.”