San Diego County CA—The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department and the Escondido Police Department will make sure your luck runs out if you get caught drinking and driving on St. Patrick’s Day.
Watch for increased DUI patrols by San Diego County Sheriff’s deputies across the county on Thursday, March 17th starting at 7:00 p.m. and lasting through 3:00 a.m. the following day. “Do the responsible thing not just on St. Patrick’s Day, but every day: don’t drink and drive,” said Sheriff Bill Gore. “Remember: Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving.”
In Escondido, the Police Department will be deploying extra officers on overtime targeting problem areas with high numbers of DUI collisions and DUI arrests. These DUI patrols along with routine nightly patrols will be looking for the tell-tale signs of impaired driving to include weaving, crossing the center line, etc.
Keep an eye out for pedestrians who have had too much to drink: Walking while intoxicated can also be deadly, as lack of attention could put you at risk of getting hit by a vehicle.
There will also be a DUI checkpoint in San Marcos on Friday, March 18th.
St. Patrick’s Day has become a dangerous time because of people who decide to drink and drive. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), impaired driving kills more than 10,000 people every year in the United States.

Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving – San Diego County Sheriff’s Department from San Diego County Sheriff on Vimeo.
Here are some sober ride options for St. Patrick’s Day:
Be My Designated Driver: http://www.bemydd.com
MTS (Bus and Trolley): http://www.sdmts.com
NCTD (Bus and Coaster/Sprinter): http://www.gonctd.com
Funding for the St. Patrick’s Day DUI patrols/checkpoints is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).