This holiday season, the Glendale Police Dept. will be out looking for drunk and drugged drivers as part of a special year-end Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over enforcement mobilization.

“Beginning Dec. 16 and continuing into the New Year, you will see stepped up enforcement watching closely for anyone who is driving impaired,” said GPD Chief Robert Castro. “We want to keep our roads safe for holiday travelers, so we will have zero tolerance for drunk or drugged driving.”

As part of the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over enforcement campaign period, police, sheriff and the CHP will be deploying DUI Checkpoints and DUI Saturation Patrols during the upcoming 17-day DUI crackdown throughout the region. Glendale PD is conducting a DUI Checkpoint on Friday, Dec. 16 from 7 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.

Drugs such as prescription medication, marijuana or illicit drugs, can impair judgment and result in the same DUI arrest as alcohol. Nationally, in 2014, 32,675 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes, with 9,967 people killed in crashes involving an impaired driver. In California, total highway deaths were reported at 3,126 with 1,155 lives lost in alcohol and/or drug impaired collisions. Those caught driving impaired by alcohol or drugs could face jail time, fines, loss of driver’s license, towing fees and other DUI expenses, totaling $10,000 on average.

“Driving under the influence is not only costly, but can ruin the holidays for you, your family or for someone else’s family,” said OTS Director Rhonda Craft. “Make the decision to drive sober or use our DDVIP app to help you find a safe ride home for yourself or your friends if you know they’ve been drinking.”

Drivers are encouraged to download the Designated Driver VIP, or “DDVIP,” free mobile app for Android or iPhone. The DDVIP app helps find nearby bars and restaurants that feature free incentives for the designated sober driver, from free non-alcoholic drinks to free appetizers and more. The feature-packed app even has social media tie-ins and even a tab for the non-DD to call Uber, Lyft or Curb.

For more information on the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over enforcement campaign and all OTS efforts, visit www.ots.ca.gov. To learn more about the DDVIP app, visit the OTS Facebook at www.facebook.com/CaliforniaOTS or follow OTS on Twitter @OTS_CA.

The Glendale Police Dept. is calling on everyone to be alert and “Report Drunk Drivers – Call 9-1-1!”

Funding for this holiday enforcement campaign is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.