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DUIS FALL 48% IN SONOMA VALLEY IN 2022

No one knows why the Valley DUI rate dropped significantly this year, ‘Whatever
it is, we'll continue to do it to keep those numbers going down,’ police say.|
Slide 1 of 2
Traffic was stopped going into downtown Petaluma at a DUI checkpoint on East
Washington in Petaluma in this file photo.
Slide 2 of 2
Graphic by Chase Hunter
Facebook Twitter Reddit WhatsApp AddThis

CHASE HUNTER
INDEX-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
September 3, 2022


California Highway Patrol data on intoxicated drivers indicates a significant
number of Sonoma Valley residents and visitors have put down the bottle before
getting behind the wheel in 2022.

The Valley is on pace to have roughly half the number of DUI arrests in 2022,
following the highest arrest rate seen in the last five years in 2021, according
to CHP.

Law enforcement agencies in the Valley do not have an explanation for why.

“There's no one specific pinpoint thing that I can say, you know, this right
here is the exact reason why we dropped DUIs by 50%,” Sonoma Police Department
Sgt. Scott McKinnon said. “Whatever it is, we'll continue to do it to keep those
numbers going down.”

Through the first eight months of 2022, California Highway Patrol logged 40 DUI
arrests in Sonoma Valley, which is on pace for 60 drunk intoxicated arrests by
the end of 2022. That would mean a 48.7% decline in DUI arrests, compared to
last year.

DUIs in Sonoma Valley 2017-2022
Infogram

Wine Country has seen some high-profile DUIs recently. Speaker of the U.S. House
of Representative Nancy Pelosi’s husband was arrested in June for a DUI in Napa
and sentenced to five days in jail, but will likely not serve anytime behind
bars. Sonoma woman Amanda Peters died as a passenger in an alleged
alcohol-related wrong-way car accident on Highway 29.



“Drunk drivers account for 28% of American traffic fatalities, equaling more
than 10,000 deaths each year,” according to the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration.

“New data suggest that the percentage of crashes involving drivers with blood
alcohol content (BAC) over the legal limit has jumped from 19% to 26% during
COVID” NHTSA also found.

California Highway Patrol Officer Caleb Benefiel did not offer any explanation
for the local decline, noting that many factors could impact the overall number
of DUI arrests from alcohol consumption behavior to levels of traffic. Nor did
Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Juan Valencia.



McKinnon said nothing has changed from an enforcement standpoint, but noted
public messaging around the dangers of DUIs may be one factor responsible.

“The fact that they're down 50% is great. And maybe it's just there's so much
awareness now about DUI, how dangerous they are, and how expensive they are,”
McKinnon said.

Estimates for DUIs in California range from a few hundred dollars for a first
time DUI offense to well over $10,000 depending on the level of severity and
number of previous offense, which may include jail time.

Another explanation could be that residents are over having hangovers following
the heavy drinking that became more prevalent during the pandemic. A September
2020 study by the RAND Corporation found “the overall frequency of alcohol
consumption increased by 14% among adults over age 30, compared to the same time
(in 2019).”

“If anything, it's kudos to the community for the fact that they're not driving
around DUI,” McKinnon said. “We're still out there making stops. We're still out
there contacting people. And the fact that DUIs have dropped 50%... You also
gotta give kudos to the community for the fact that they're being responsible.”

Contact Chase Hunter at chase.hunter@sonomanews.com and follow @Chase_HunterB on
Twitter.




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WEATHER SERVICE: WEEKEND STORM TO BRING WINDS OF UP TO 50 MPH TO SONOMA COUNTY


RESTRICTIONS LIFTED IN NORTH BAY DUNGENESS CRAB FISHING


MATTSON PROPOSAL FOR SPRINGS PLAZA SCRAPPED


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