Authorities crack down on drunk driving as New Year's celebrations begin

CLOVIS, Calif. (KFSN) -- Clovis police officers are preparing their breathalyzers as they get ready to crack down on impaired drivers this weekend.

"Tomorrow night, we have a DUI checkpoint scheduled in the hopes of preventing some DUI-related collisions and injuries as a way of keeping the public safe," Clovis Police Department Corporal Sean O'Brien said Friday.

O'Brien confirms the checkpoint will begin at 8 P.M. Saturday, getting underway just as some early New Year's celebrations begin.

Officers will choose drivers at random.

"They'll verify your driver's license," O'Brien said, "(and) try to ensure whether or not you've been drinking or are under the influence."

Drunk drivers often have red, watery eyes, slurred speech, and smell of alcohol. Those drivers will face field sobriety tests, which could include a breathalyzer and eventual chemical test.

The blood alcohol limit in California is .08 percent, but O'Brien says impairment starts well before.

"I would recommend not driving at all if you've had anything to drink," he said. "Impairment starts at generally about a 0.04 percent blood alcohol content, and that's when reactions can be delayed."

The Clovis crackdown comes amid a Fresno County campaign to raise awareness about the risks of driving drunk.

Several billboards are posted with sobering messages, like 'Don't Drink and DIE.'

"Those messages about 'drink and die,' that's what it's all about," County Supervisor and Board Chairman Nathan Magsig said.

Data reveals that between Thanksgiving and New Year's, an average of 20 people die in preventable traffic accidents on county roads alone, according to Magsig.

"If you have someone who is driving while impaired, distracted, and driving too fast, it's a combination that ultimately can be deadly," he said.

Magsig and O'Brien are now urging drivers to think twice about getting behind the wheel after drinking.

"You have the option of calling a taxi, Uber, or Lyft, calling a friend or family member," O'Brien said. "Any other way that you can get a ride."

Other law enforcement agencies up and down the Valley are also getting tough on DUIs this weekend.

The Visalia Police Department confirms it will set up a DUI checkpoint Friday night.

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