North Bay DUI Checkpoint, Patrols Set For Memorial Weekend

ROHNERT PARK - Some simple advice. Don't drive after you've been drinking this Memorial Day weekend in the North Bay.

If you do, you may find yourself stopped by a DUI/drivers license checkpoint announced for Friday night in Cotati at which Avoid the 13 DUI Task Force officers will be looking for intoxicated or drugged drivers.

Saturday and Sunday nights, DUI saturation patrols will roam Cotati, Rohnert Park, Santa Rosa, and Sonoma State University areas, looking for impaired drivers.

Here's the announced DUI Checkpoint/Saturation patrol schedule:

• Friday, May 27 - Cotati: DUI Checkpoint
• Saturday/Sunday, May 28/29 - Cotati, Rohnert Park, Santa Rosa, Sonoma State University: DUI Saturation patrols

The full text of the Avoid the 13 DUI Task Force effort is here:

Memorial Day Holiday Weekend DUI Enforcement Blitz

Santa Rosa, CA – The Avoid the 13 DUI Task Force is sending DUI officers out this holiday weekend for DUI/drivers license checkpoints and DUI saturation patrols countywide. Officers are targeting drunk or drugged drivers on this first holiday weekend of the summer driving season.

This weekend traditionally finds travelers heading to local parks or waterways for outdoor activities, along with family and friends gathering for backyard barbeques. It’s also the time for college and high school graduation celebrations.

The County’s DUI Task Force kicks off Friday night by deploying a DUI/Driver’s License checkpoint in the city of Cotati. More local DUI saturation patrols will be out on Saturday and Sunday nights in the cities of Santa Rosa, Cotati, Rohnert Park and at Sonoma State University. The California Highway Patrol is deploying all available officers Memorial Day weekend onto freeways and county roads as part of their Maximum Enforcement Period.

Law enforcement is asking for everyone’s support this holiday weekend and all summer long:

• Plan ahead. Arrange rides home for your friends, family, co-workers and yourself before the drinking begins. Call a taxi or get a ride from Uber, Lyft or Curb.

• Those hosting activities should limit drinks to your guests or patrons. Don’t serve more than one or two over several hours.

• Cut back on the amount of drinks you plan to bring to the gathering – and provide plenty of food.

• If you see dangerous driving, Report Drunk Drivers – Call 9-1-1!

Recent statistics reveal that 30 percent of drivers in fatal crashes had one or more drugs in their systems. A study of active drivers showed more tested positive for drugs that may impair driving (14 percent) than did for alcohol (7.3 percent). Of the drugs, marijuana was most prevalent, at 7.4 percent, slightly more than alcohol. Everyone should be mindful that if you’re taking medication – whether prescription or over-the-counter – drinking even small amounts of alcohol can greatly intensify impairment effects.

In addition to the Memorial Day DUI crackdown, law enforcement nationwide is looking to stop and ticket those who have failed to buckle up or secure young passengers. Remember Click It or Ticket!

Funding for the Avoid DUI Task Force is a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The Avoid Task Force will deploy checkpoints and DUI patrols next during the Independence Day Holiday and for the summer August/Labor Day DUI Mobilization.

-image via ShutterStock