NEWPORT BEACH : Enforcement of DUI Laws Stepped Up
The Police Department’s DUI Enforcement Team is out in full force again this holiday season to arrest drunk drivers in the hopes of preventing alcohol-related accidents, officials said Friday.
Police are relying on residents to call if they spot a driver they suspect of being drunk, Sgt. Andy Gonis said.
“Citizens that have car phones have called in the past to report drivers weaving in and out of traffic lanes and failing to stop at red lights,” he said.
Gonis said people are encouraged to call police with license plate numbers and descriptions of cars of suspected drunken drivers.
During December, 1991, 118 drunk-driving arrests were made in the city, according to Gonis, who added there were 934 such arrests in all of 1991.
Although no sobriety checkpoints are set up in the city, several teams of two officers each are patrolling city streets solely to enforce drunk-driving laws during peak hours, from 7 p.m. to 3 a.m., Gonis said.
The Police Department has produced public service announcements to air on local cable TV throughout the holiday season. The ads consist of descriptions of typical signs of drunk driving and remind viewers that the blood-alcohol limit is 0.08%.
A person weighing 160 pounds may reach that level by consuming three beers or three four-ounce glasses of wine in two hours, according to police.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
