Police crack down on DUI drivers over the holiday

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- It will be another busy weekend for law enforcement in the Central Valley with more officers on duty cracking down on DUI drivers New Years Eve weekend.

Impaired drivers behind the wheel will not only be busted for alcohol or prescription pills -- officers will also be searching for people under the influence of marijuana through DUI checkpoints, saturation patrols, and the Bar Watch Program.

Captian Michael Reid of the Fresno Police Department said, "It's a recreational lawful drug now to take, but again that has just about the same amount of impairment alcohol does."

The Fresno Police Department has seen a 15 percent decrease in traffic collisions so far this year but an increase in DUI related deaths. A total of 14 deaths for 2017 compared to 8 lives lost last year.

The California Highway Patrol is also putting more officers on the streets for the holiday weekend.

Media Information Officer, Sarah Jackson said, "New Years Eve weekend is what we call a maximum enforcement period for the California Highway Patrol we usually have every officer that's available out in the area patrolling."

So far CHP officers have seen more 100 people killed in DUI related deaths this year across the state and the Fresno Police Department has made over 1400 DUI arrests.

"If you think about it, a collision is a violent offense its just like a violent crime because unfortunately somebody is injured property is damaged people lose their lives, but that's one of the things that's absolutely avoidable if you just use some common sense," Captain Ried said.