RANCHO CORDOVA, CA (MPG) - As we approach Labor Day weekend, the Rancho Cordova Police Department (RCPD) is participating in the national Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign and encourages our community to be responsible and safe by not driving impaired.

RCPD will have additional officers on patrol from August 21, 2020 through the Labor Day weekend, September 7, 2020 to identify and arrest alcohol and drug-impaired drivers to keep our community safe.

In addition to proactive patrols, RCPD will hold a Driving Under the Influence (DUI)/Driver License Checkpoint from Friday, September 4 at 6 PM through Saturday, September 5 at 2 AM at an undisclosed location in the City of Rancho Cordova. During the checkpoint, RCPD officers will look for signs that drivers are under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, as well as check for proper licensing.

While less people are traveling during the COVID-19 pandemic, impaired driving continues to be a focus for RCPD. During the Fourth of July holiday, the California Highway Patrol made 738 arrests for DUI over a 54-hour period.

YOU can make our community safer. Drive with care and slow down. Follow traffic laws, including speed laws and no texting laws.

If you plan to drink, don’t drive. Period. In addition, DUI doesn’t just mean alcohol. Prescription drugs with warning labels about driving, and marijuana, especially in combination with alcohol or other drugs, can also impair driving and result in a DUI. If you see an impaired driver on the road, immediately call 911.

Drivers charged with DUI face an average of $13,500 in fines and penalties, as well as a suspended license.

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