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Dui arrests up this year, crashes are down
Law enforcement personnel in Alameda, Contra Costa, Monterey and San Mateo counties are gearing up for the final days of their campaign to combat drunken driving during the holiday season.
Since Dec. 14, officers in the four counties have arrested 1,457 people for driving under the influence.
The number of arrests in Alameda, Contra Costa and San Mateo is up 2 percent but the total number of drunken driving crashes has dropped from 36 last year to 25 this year. In Monterey County, officers have arrested 45 more people this year compared to last year, but there were 12 DUI-related crashes, up from eight in 2000.
The anti-drunken driving campaigns in each of the counties finish at midnight New Year’s Day. Three-fourths of the total California Highway Patrol officers in those counties are on patrol until New Year’s Day.
