From Aug 21. Sept. 7 officers in the Stanislaus County region cracked down on drinking and driving. This was due to the “Driver Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign. In those two weeks 88 people were arrested with a charge of driving under the influence (DUI) . Also, during those weeks another 75 other people were arrested who had outstanding DUI warrants.

This effort from Stanislaus County will be an annual effort to minimize drunk driving all year around.

The attempt to reduce drinking and driving has been in effect for some time starting with the Avoid the 12 Campaign. This campaign started in 2011 and was put in effect by 12 county law enforcement agencies during the winter season.

During this period there was an 118 motorists arrested for DUI.

It is  a criminal offense to operate a motor vehicle if your blood alcohol level (BAC) is .08 or higher and if you are younger than 21 years of age it is prohibited that a person has a BAC of .02, which could be just a sip for some.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) alcohol impaired motor vehicle crashes result in an estimated $37 million annually. The Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over Campaign also gives the results that on average one drunk driving fatality occurred every 52 minutes in 2013 and each year on average more than 10,000 people die on roadways due to drunk driving collisions.

Four out of five college students drink, and about half of college students who do drink consume alcohol through binge drinking. About 1,825 college students between the ages of 18 to 24 die from alcohol related unintentional injuries and motor vehicle crashes according to research by the College Drinking Prevention Organization.

Drinking and driving is a real and serious issue. So before getting into your vehicle remember, get sober or be pulled over.