Drinking and driving is very costly.

The greatest cost can be the human toll if the driver causes an injury or death.

And if the motorist is intercepted by police and convicted of driving under the influence, the financial cost can reach into the thousands of dollars, even $10,000 in some cases.

For immigrants who are U.S. residents, a DUI can complicate or even end their plans to become citizens.

And for those who are in the country illegally, the cost is most likely deportation.

During this time of year the number of accidents and arrests related to alcohol soars. The Latino community is particularly hard-hit.

Car accidents are the leading cause of death among Latinos ages 1 to 44 years old and the third leading cause for all ages, after heart disease and cancer.

At this time, too, authorities step up their efforts to catch drunk drivers.

They will increase patrols and set up checkpoints across the region.

State officials have campaign during the holidays urging people to call 911 to report possible drunk drivers.

"We will continue our efforts to stop and arrest drunk drivers," said Christopher J. Murphy, the director of the state Office of Traffic Safety, in a statement. "Besides being a season to celebrate with family and friends, the December holidays unfortunately are a dangerous season on the road."

Although the number of deaths linked to drunk drivers has decreased in recent years, the risk these motorists pose remains a serious problem.

In 2008, the last year statistics were available, 1,239 people died and nearly 20,000 were injured in accidents involving drunk drivers in California.

The city of San Diego had the second greatest number of deaths and injuries related to alcohol in the state, after Los Angeles, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The cost of DUIs

The Highway Patrol estimates that a DUI conviction could cost $7,000 or more. The organization Mothers Against Drunk Drivers pegs the total cost even higher, between $10,000 to $15,000.

The costs include towing the vehicle and storing, bail, attorney fees, fines and other court costs, court-ordered classes and the increase in insurance premiums.

It does not end there.

Though every case is different, typically people convicted of DUI face between 96 hours to six months in jail, three to five years parole, a suspension of the driver's license and having the offense on their record for ten years.

The cost to immigrants

Drivers who are undocumented immigrants face other consequences.

First, if they are stopped by an officer and don't have a driver's license, the Border Patrol most likely will be contacted to verify their identity, said immigration attorney Lilia Velásquez.

"These cases, after a trial, nearly always end up with a voluntary departure (from the U.S.) or in a deportation trial," she said.

Drivers who are permanent U.S. residents won't face deportation for a DUI conviction, following a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court, but their plans to become U.S. citizens could be cut short.

Even their efforts to renew their residency card could be affected since it's possible that they will be summoned for an interview with an immigration official, the attorney said.

"People with a DUI face many consequences in their immigration case," she reiterated. "A DUI, when you want to become a U.S. citizen, looks very bad. That tells immigration officials that you are not a responsible person."

"If you drink, don't drive"

This New Year's Eve, authorities are again urging people who drink alcoholic beverages to not drive.

They stress that it's difficult to tell how many drinks or beers are enough to make a person legally drunk because each person is different.

"The best way to avoid a problem is not to drive, or if you drink, designate a person not drinking to be the driver," said Marjorie Delgadillo, spokeswoman for MADD in San Diego.

"We're not against alcoholic beverages. What we're opposed to is driving drunk.

Remember that you share the road with families, with the rest of the community."

Pablo.sainz@sandiegored.com