The number of people who died in accidents involving alcohol surged in San Diego County and the state during the long Christmas weekend compared to last year, according to the California Highway Patrol.
As the New Year's holiday gets under way, the CHP and other law enforcement agencies announced stepped up surveillance and Mothers Against Drunk Driving again reminded everyone of the high cost of driving drunk.
Three people died in county roads from Dec. 23 to 26 and 63 people were arrested for DUI, compared to one death and 33 arrests for the same period last year, according to the CHP.
Statewide, 14 people died and 980 people were arrested this year, compared to four fatalities and 658 arrests last year, the CHP said.
MADD promoted its campaign "Tie One On For Safety," which asks motorists to display a red ribbon on their vehicles as a pledge to drive safe and sober. They are available for free at Northgate González supermarkets.
The Latino population is disproportionally affected by alcohol. Automobile accidents are a leading cause of death among Hispanics ages 1 to 44, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration statistics. And Latino students are more likely to be passengers in a vehicle driven by a person who has consumed alcohol, according to the 2002 U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study.
Eloisa Orozco, executive director of MADD in San Diego, said the best way to avoid a potential tragedy is to designate someone to drive who will not be drinking alcohol or to plan to use public transit.
"If they plan to drink, pass to keys to someone else," she stressed.
Besides putting their's as well as others' lives at risk, people who drive drunk face more than $10,000 in costs related to a DUI arrest and suspension or loss of their driver's license.
The costs include court-ordered programs that cost $177 to $1,500, depending on the case, $1,000 to $5,000 in attorney fees, bail, vehicle towing and storage and increased fees for auto insurance, according to MADD.
"A taxi costs around $30 in comparison with more than $10,000 for driving drunk," Orozco said. "And you could be saving a life."
A drunk-driving conviction can affect the person's employment or make it tough to get another job, as well.
Immigrants face other consequences. If the person is undocumented, the Border Patrol will likely be contacted to try to verify identity. Depending on the individual case, the result can be a voluntary departure from the United States or deportation, according to immigration attorneys.
A DUI conviction may make it tougher for legal U.S. residents to renew their residency card or to become U.S. citizens, thus ending a lifelong dream for many immigrants.
Law enforcement agencies across the state have announced special operations to detect drunk drivers.
"This is the time of year to be with friends and family," said San Diego County Sheriff's Deputy José Sanchez, of the traffic division, "not with in jail or in a hospital bed."
Alexandra.mendoza@sandiegored.com
