Salinas Police deploy extra patrols this Fourth of July

As drivers prepare to head home from Fourth of July festivities, The Salinas Police Department will be out in full force stopping impaired drivers.

Salinas Police plans to deploy DUI saturation patrols on the Fourth of July in areas where a lot of DUI accidents and arrests have occurred. The department said showing police presence, using both DUI checkpoints and DUI saturation patrols have proven to lower the number of persons killed and injured in alcohol or drug impaired crashes.

Officers will be on the lookout for signs of alcohol or drug impairment. Statistics show that 49 percent of drivers 18 to 34 years old who were killed over the July Fourth period in 2015 were driving drunk.

Law enforcement agencies want folks to plan a sober ride home before the party begins.

“The cost of a ride home is cheap. Drivers caught driving impaired can expect the impact of a DUI arrest to include jail time, fines, fees, DUI classes, license suspensions and other expenses that can exceed $10,000,” said Salinas PD.