County Roads Were Safe Over Halloween, According to Police Report

Law enforcement officers in Marin County are celebrating a victory: There were no alcohol-related major injuries or fatal collisions in the county over the Halloween weekend.

According to San Rafael police Sgt. Christopher Coale, coordinator for the county’s Avoid the 13 program, the message that drunk drivers could not hide behind Halloween costumes was heeded.

There were 137 traffic stops made by 14 officers engaged in focused DUI/drivers license enforcement patrols throughout the county over the Halloween weekend, Coale said. Personnel from the San Rafael, Novato, Tiburon and San Anselmo police departments participated. Eighteen field sobriety tests were administered and just one arrest was made for suspicion of driving under the influence.

“This is a definite measure of success,” Coale said in his release. 

Enforcement operations will be conducted by Marin Avoid the 13 agencies during holiday periods throughout the year when the potential for alcohol abuse and driving activities may be mingled, he said.

Funding for the Avoid the 13 operation was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.