Ramped-up DUI enforcement begins Friday

El Dorado County law enforcement agencies will begin a more than two-week crackdown on drunken driving this week.

The ÒAvoid the 6Ó DUI task force will deploy officers to conduct three DUI checkpoints, five roving DUI saturation patrols and a warrant/ probation sweep targeting repeat DUI offenders throughout the county between Aug. 20 and Sept. 7, according to a statement from South Lake Tahoe police Sgt. Shannon Laney.

The measures are part of a national ÒDrunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest.Ó crackdown led by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the California Avoid DUI Task Force Campaign. The effort combines high-visibility enforcement with heightened public awareness through publicity, Laney said.

ÒOur message is simple and unwavering. If we find you driving impaired, we will arrest you. No exceptions,Ó said Martin Hewlett, South Lake TahoeÕs interim police chief, in the statement. ÒEven if you beat the odds and walk away from an impaired-driving crash alive, motorists should be aware that the financial and social consequences of a DUI can be devastating.Ó

From 8 p.m. Friday until 2 a.m. Saturday, officers from the South Lake Tahoe Police Department, the Placerville Police Department and El Dorado County SheriffÕs Department will conduct a DUI checkpoint on Pioneer Trail, Lake Tahoe Boulevard and Highway 50, according to the statement.

On Aug. 24 South Lake Tahoe police will conduct a DUI checkpoint on Pioneer Trail.

On Aug. 27 officers from Placerville Police Department and South Lake Tahoe Police Department will conduct a DUI checkpoint along U.S. Highway 50 in Placerville.

ÒDriving impaired is simply not worth all the consequences. Just designate a sober driver,Ó Laney said. ÒDonÕt take the chance. Remember, if you are over the limit, youÕre under arrest.Ó