Officers Out In Force Looking For Drunk New Year's Drivers
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) - The CHP is using the maximum amount of available officers on the streets Monday night, specifically to find people driving under the influence.
Of course their recommendation is for people to plan on having a designated driver or calling a taxi after celebrating New Year's, and they also advise drivers who have been drinking not to play it close.
The legal driving limit is under .08, but that doesn't have to be the cutoff for a DUI.
"Everything between a .05 and above up to .079, it's all about whether the officer thinks you are impaired or not, and you can still be arrested for DUI at that point," the CHP's Trevor Fee said.
The cost of getting a DUI is up to almost $10,000 with all the associated fees.
"I've always been pretty good at math, and I've learned that a taxi is a lot cheaper," Gunther Owen said.
The laundry list of costs for a DUI arrest to reach $10,000 include fines, impound fees, DUI treatment programs, court costs, insurance increases and attorney fees.
Instead of a night in jail, a criminal record, and a lot of hassle, CBS13 looked at alternative ways one could spend the $10,000.
For those hoping to take home an iPad for the holidays, for the cost of that first-time DU, you could have taken home 20.
Who couldn't use a little time way? Instead of spending a night in a jail cell and spending all that money for a DUI, you can buy two first-class tickets on Hawaiian Airlines round trip and stay at the Ritz Carlton for seven nights in an ocean-view room.
If you're not into spending money on yourself, for the cost of that first-time dui, you can feed 20 children at Loaves and Fishes for all of 2013.
Free Rides
AAA is offering its "Tipsy Tow" for revelers who drink too much on New Year's Eve. The company offers a free 10-mile tow for drivers and their car starting at 6 p.m. through Tuesday morning at 6 a.m.
AAA membership is not required. The number is 800-222-4357 or 1-800-AAA-HELP.
A local law firm is also offering free rides. Rides start at 10 p.m. and continue through 3 a.m. Fares can only be picked up from a restaurant, hotel or bar in downtown Sacramento.
The number to call is 444-2222. Tell the driver the ride is on "Berg Injury Lawyers."
