CHP Arrests 167 on DUI Charges in Orange County

The California Highway Patrol, armed with hand-held Breathalyzers and a tougher legal standard for drunkenness, arrested 167 people on suspicion of driving while under the influence of alcohol on Orange County freeways over Labor Day weekend.

Three people involved in two traffic accidents related to drunk driving were killed on the county’s freeways during the traditional final weekend of summer, the CHP reported.

CHP Officer Lyle Whitten said officers from the Westminster station arrested 59 motorists on suspicion of driving while under the influence of alcohol.

That figure is nearly double the number of arrests the Westminster station made last Labor Day, and the most arrests over a weekend in years, Whitten said.

He attributed much of the increase in arrests to greater enforcement and a new law that allows police to arrest motorists found to have a blood-alcohol level of .08.

The law that lowered the legal standard for drunkenness from .10 took effect on Jan. 1. Whitten said 9% of the arrests over Labor Day weekend involved people who could have passed the old test.

“They would have driven away last year,” Whitten said.

Whitten also said, however, that it appears more people are drinking and driving, despite heavy advertising campaigns aimed at discouraging the practice.

“Drunks are out there killing innocent people,” Whitten said. “That’s the reason we are putting so much emphasis on drunk driving. (But) you’d think DUI would be reduced, not increased, because of enhanced enforcement.”

CHP Officer Ken Daily said officers stationed in the San Juan Capistrano office made 45 DUI arrests. That figure was up from 25 arrests the previous year.

And CHP Officer Angel Johnson said the Santa Ana office arrested 63 motorists for suspected DUI. That figure was five fewer than last year.