If you're planning to indulge in holiday cheer, Escondido Police have a message: celebrate responsibly, or face the consequences. The Escondido Police Department is ramping up DUI patrols tonight, with officers on the lookout for drivers under the influence from 4 p.m. until 1 a.m. The increased enforcement comes as part of a concerted effort to ensure public safety during a season often marked by celebration—and excess.
As holiday festivities take hold, Escondido's Police Chief Ed Varso expressed a clear expectation, according to the Escondido Police Department, "Make the choice to keep yourself, your families and other roadway users safe. If you’ve been drinking or have taken drugs that impair, make the right choice by finding a sober driver or alternate transportation.” The reminder is stern but fair, particularly when considering the $13,500 average in fines and penalties that accompany a first-time DUI, not to mention the suspended license that can derail lives.
The local enforcement action is not solely focused on alcohol impairment—officials are cautioning drivers about the effects of legal substances too. Prescription medications and over-the-counter drugs bearing warnings about their impact on driving should be heeded with the same gravity as alcohol advisories. With the legalization of medicinal and recreational marijuana, there's a notable caveat, driving high remains illegal and is subject to the same scrutiny as driving under the influence of alcohol.
To fund these patrols, the Escondido Police Department has received backing from a grant provided by the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. As revelers deck the halls and light the menorahs, such a measure brings a different kind of watchfulness to the winter nights. It is a reminder that amidst the gaiety and gathering, one's responsibilities on the road remain paramount, unforgiving as the law may be, to potential lapses in judgment.
