If you’re enjoying the holidays with a drink, Citrus Heights Police Department has a message for you: “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.” Due to the increase in drunk-driving-related fatalities around the holidays each year, law-enforcement agencies across the country will be actively searching for and arresting drunk drivers until January 3rd.

As part of the national Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over enforcement campaign period, police, the sheriff, and the CHP personnel will be deploying DUI checkpoints and DUI saturation patrols during the upcoming 17-day DUI Enforcement Campaign throughout the region. The Citrus Heights Police Department is conducting a DUI checkpoint on December 19th and will be conducting DUI saturations through New Year’s Eve.

There are 10,000 reasons to crack down. In 2013, 10,076 people were killed in crashes involving a drunk driver. In December 2013 alone, there were 733 people killed in crashes involving at least one driver or motorcycle operator with a blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher. Twenty-three of those deaths occurred on Christmas Day. California was witness to 98 deaths and another 1,852 injured in alcohol-involved collisions in December 2013.

“We want drivers to get the message,” said Chief Boyd, Citrus Heights Police Department. “Drunk driving is a choice you make, and when you make that choice, people get hurt or die. That’s why we’re joining with law enforcement nationwide to share the message: Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.”

“The safest way to get home,” Chief Boyd said, “is to drive sober, designate a driver, or use one of the designated driver resources available.”

Recent statistics reveal that 30 percent of drivers in fatal crashes had one or more drugs in their systems. A study of active drivers showed more tested positive for drugs that may impair driving (14 percent) than did for alcohol (7.3 percent). Of the drugs, marijuana was most prevalent, at 7.4 percent, slightly more than alcohol.

Everyone should also be mindful that if you’re taking medication—whether prescription or over-the-counter—drinking even small amounts of alcohol can greatly intensify the impairment affects.

Law Enforcement emphasizes the preventable nature of drunk driving, reminding everyone that all it takes is a little planning ahead. Designate a sober driver or call a cab. But whatever you do, don’t drink and drive.

The California Office of Traffic Safety DDVIP (Designated Driver VIP) mobile app is now available for free download on iOS and Android devices. Launched last year, the new DDVIP app offers enhanced features, allowing users to “Map a Spot” with their current location to find DDVIP partnering establishments in their area or a “List of Spots” to search all participating bars and restaurants throughout California. Users will be offered free incentives at each bar to celebrate their life-saving role. They can stay up-to-date with the latest from DDVIP and see what other users are saying via its social tab. Also through the app, for those who want to imbibe but also make it a point to plan ahead, users can easily order a sober ride from Uber, Lyft, or Curb—all from one screen.

Citrus Heights Police Department reminds everyone to follow these simple tips to stay safe.

• Plan a safe way to get home before you attend the party. Alcohol impairs judgment as well as reaction time. If you’re impaired, you’re more likely to choose to drive drunk.
• Designate a sober driver; take public transportation, a car service, or call a sober friend or family member to get home.
• Walking while impaired can be just as dangerous as drunk driving. Designate a sober friend to walk you home.
• Use a sober ride program, Taxi, Lyft, Uber, or other available ride program.
• If you see someone you think is about to drive while impaired, take their keys and help them get home safely.

If you’re caught drinking and driving you could face jail time, fines, loss of driver’s license, towing fees, and other DUI expenses, totaling $10,000 on average. That’s not a small price, and that doesn’t even count the heftier price you could pay: the price of your life or someone else’s. In addition to reminding all drivers to drive sober, Chief Boyd is calling on everyone to be alert and Report Drunk Drivers by calling 911. If you see a dangerous driver, call immediately! If someone you know is about to drive after drinking, take their keys and help them get home safely. “We’ve got to work together to make our roads safer this December and year-round,” he said.

Remember, driving after drinking should never be an option. Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over. Funding for this holiday campaign is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.