Roving Patrols in Laguna Niguel Result in 54 Stops

Wet weather over the weekend forced Orange County Sheriff's deputies to revert to roving patrols instead of a scheduled undisclosed DUI checkpoint it had issued for Friday night into Saturday morning.

According to sheriff's department spokeswoman, Gail Krause, as a result, there were 54 vehicle stops in Laguna Niguel.

Of those, there were nine field sobriety tests conducted with one DUI arrest and two drug arrests. There were also three unlicensed driver citations, she said.

These recent numbers are consistent with the last roving patrol in Laguna Niguel held on Sept. 14, where 46 vehicles were stopped, three DUI arrests were made and two unlicensed driving citations were issued, Krause said.

When possible, specially trained officers will be available to evaluate those suspected of drug-impaired driving. From 2008 through 2010, DUI collisions claimed 186 lives and resulted in 5,966 injuries of our friends and neighbors in Orange County, says OCSD.

In California, this deadly crime led to 1,072 deaths in 2010 because someone failed to designate a sober driver. Alcohol and drug-impaired deaths still made up the largest category of overall vehicle fatalities in 2010 with 29 percent of all deaths caused by a drunk driver, according to OCSD.

A DUI checkpoint is a proven effective method to lower these numbers.The OCSD reminds everyone that they can assist in preventing drunk driving from ever occurring. If you are planning a gathering or celebration with alcohol included, or if you are out on the town, plan ahead and designate a non-drinking sober driver.

A DUI and drug-impaired arrest can cost up to $10,000 or more, including time in jail, the loss of your driver’s license and higher insurance rates.These enforcement efforts are funded by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.