The anti-drunk driving campaign leading up to the Labor Day holiday has resulted in a number of arrests by local law enforcement agencies.

From 12:01 a.m.  Aug. 20, through midnight Sunday officers representing 12 county law enforcement agencies in the Avoid the 12 program, have arrested 80 individuals for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.  In 2009, 106 DUI arrests occurred during the same time period.

The Labor Day weekend typically sees an increase in drunk driving collisions and fatalities as people celebrate the end of summer. For the last three years the California Office of Traffic Safety has sponsored intensive impaired driving crackdowns for the end of summer.

Alcohol involved fatalities and injuries have dropped dramatically in the last three years of this end-of-summer enforcement campaign in California. Combined deaths and injuries in 2007 were 1,780, dropping to 1,682 in 2008. Provisional 2009 data show that the numbers have dropped again, to 1,317 a 26 percent decrease in just three years, according to the Office of Traffic Safety.

“All too often, innocent, law-abiding people suffer tragic consequences and the loss of loved ones due to this careless disregard for human life,” said Christopher J. Murphy, director of the California Office of Traffic Safety.  “Because of the commitment to end the carnage, police, sheriffs and CHP are intensifying enforcement during the crackdown. They’ll be especially vigilant during high-risk nighttime hours when impaired drivers are most likely to be on our roads.”

As part of the “Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest” campaign, the Avoid the 12 will conduct saturation patrols on Friday in Turlock, Ceres, Modesto, Oakdale and Riverbank. On Saturday a DUI checkpoint is scheduled in Oakdale.

To contact Sabra Stafford, e-mail sstafford@turlockjournal.com or call 634-9141 ext. 2002.