LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Law enforcement agencies in Southern California will be out in force today looking for impaired drivers on Cinco de Mayo.
The Los Angeles Police Department plans saturation DUI patrols this weekend, including sobriety and driver's license checkpoints at the following locations:
-- North Hollywood, Victory Boulevard at Bellaire Avenue (7 p.m. to midnight)
-- Los Angeles, Avalon Boulevard at Imperial Highway (7 p.m. to midnight)
-- Los Angeles, Huntington Drive at Monterey Road (8 p.m. to 1 a.m.)
-- Los Angeles, Venice Boulevard at Culver Boulevard (8 p.m. to 1 a.m.)
-- Arleta, Van Nuys Boulevard at Vena Avenue (8 p.m. to 1 a.m.)
Long Beach Police Department officials said they will deploy additional officers on special DUI saturation patrols from 6 p.m. today to 2 a.m. Sunday in areas with a history of frequent DUI crashes and DUI arrests.
LBPD officials are also reminding the public that DUI doesn't just refer to alcohol.
``If you take prescription drugs, particularly those with a driving or operating machinery warning on the label, you might be impaired enough to get a DUI,'' an LBPD statement said. ``Marijuana use can also be impairing, especially in combination with alcohol or other drugs, and can result in a DUI.''
The extra enforcement effort is funded by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
California Highway Patrol officers will be doing their normal patrols this weekend, as Cinco de Mayo is not covered under the CHP's maximum enforcement patrols, according to Officer Siara Lund of the CHP's media relations office.
Those who plan to go out drinking are encouraged to download the Designated Driver VIP (DDVIP) free mobile app for Android or iPhone. The app helps find nearby bars and restaurants that feature free incentives for sober designated drivers, and also includes a tab for impaired drivers to call a commercial ride-sharing service for a ride home.