Monterey Park Police: Don’t Rely on Luck, Designate a Sober Driver this St. Patrick’s Day

If you plan to have a few cheers for St. Patrick’s Day, remember to plan ahead and have a designated sober driver take you home.

St. Patrick’s Day celebrations are one of the biggest drinking nights of the year, which makes it all the more important to let someone who has not been drinking take you home.

To help keep the public safe, Monterey Park Police Department will have extra officers on patrol this St. Patrick’s Day, March 17 from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. looking for drivers suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.

In 2018 alone, 73 people were killed in drunk-driving crashes over the St. Patrick’s Day holiday period (6 p.m. March 16 to 5:59 a.m. March 18).

“If you need to ask yourself whether you are okay to drive, the answer is probably no,” Monterey Park Interim Police Chief Kelly Gordon said. “We want people to have fun, but also be responsible. Part of that responsibility is arranging a safe way to get home.”

If you plan on drinking, designate a sober driver, take a ride-share or use public transportation to get around. If you ever see a drunk driver on the road, call 911.

Funding for St. Patrick’s Day DUI enforcement is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Monterey Park Police Announce DUI/Driver’s License Checkpoint for March 20, 2020

Monterey Park Police Department will be conducting a DUI/Driver’s License Checkpoint on March 20, 2020, at an undisclosed location within the city limits between the hours of 6:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m.

DUI Checkpoints like this one are placed in locations based on collision statistics and frequency of DUI arrests. Officers will be looking for signs of alcohol and/or drug impairment, with officers checking drivers for proper licensing.

Monterey Park Police Department reminds drivers that “DUI Doesn’t Just Mean Booze.” If you take prescription drugs, particularly those with a driving or operating machinery warning on the label, you might be impaired enough to get a DUI. Marijuana can also be impairing, especially in combination with alcohol or other drugs, and can result in a DUI.

In 2017, 1,120 people were killed in alcohol-involved crashes on California roads. Last year Monterey Park Police Department investigated 11 DUI collisions which resulted in 15 injuries.

Monterey Park Police Department offers these reminders to ensure you have a safe night of fun that doesn’t involve a DUI:

• Always use a designated sober driver – a friend who is not drinking, ride-share, cab or public transportation – to get home.
• See someone who is clearly impaired try and drive? Take the keys and help them make other arrangements to find a sober way home.
• Report drunk drivers – Call 911.
• Hosting a party? Offer nonalcoholic drinks. Monitor who are drinking and how they are getting home.

Getting home safely is cheap, but getting a DUI is not! Drivers caught driving impaired and charged with DUI can expect the impact of a DUI arrest to be upwards of $13,500. This includes fines, fees, DUI classes, license suspension and other expenses not to mention possible jail time.

Funding for this checkpoint is provided to Monterey Park Police Department by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.