(KRON) — Eleven drivers were arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence during a three-week period through Labor Day weekend, according to the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office. The arrests were made as part of a national “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign in which additional officers were deployed across the country in an effort to bust DUI drivers.
In San Mateo County, 11 drivers were cited for driving under the influence of alcohol, according to the sheriff’s office. Several drivers were busted during patrols and two DUI arrests were made at a DUI checkpoint on Aug. 26.
First-time charges for DUI in California amount to an average of $13,500 in fines and penalties, according to the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office. Possible penalties include a suspended driver’s license.
In 2021, drunk driving crashes accounted for nearly a third — 32% — of all statewide traffic deaths, the sheriff’s office said. That’s the equivalent of about four people being killed every day.