The Turlock Police Department arrested 15 drivers suspected of driving under the influence during a nearly three-week period through Labor Day weekend.

The enforcement efforts were part of a national Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over mobilization campaign that saw additional officers on patrol throughout the country to take suspected impaired drivers off the road.

In addition to patrols, the Turlock Police Department held a DUI checkpoint on August 26, leading to one DUI arrest.

Drunk driving crashes accounted for 30 percent of all traffic deaths in California in 2020. First-time charges for DUI are an average of $13,500 in fines and penalties, which could include a suspended license.

“The Turlock Police Department would like to remind the public that impaired driving is not just from alcohol,” said Turlock Police Sgt. Joseph Dusel. “Marijuana, illicit drugs, even prescription and over-the-counter medications, may impair.”

Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.