Police make 34 drunken driving arrests over the holidays

More than 30 suspected drunken drivers have been arrested in Sutter, Yuba and Colusa counties as part of the law enforcement crackdown over the holidays.

Since Dec. 14, the start of the zero tolerance Avoid the 9 campaign, officers have jailed 34 motorists for driving under the influence, said Sgt. Chris Sachs of the Marysville Police Department on Wednesday.

Last year, officers arrested 35 people during the same period, authorities said.

The 19-day push against drunken driving includes additional patrols, checkpoints and multi-agency warrant sweeps, according to a statement from police.

"All regularly scheduled traffic and patrol officers will focus efforts at stopping and arresting DUI drivers during their normal shifts," Sachs said.

Additionally, the California Highway Patrol is also conducting its own statewide maximum enforcement period, which begins again at 6 p.m. Friday and runs through midnight on New Year's Day.

Special anti-DUI enforcement also continues locally through the New Year.

During the 102-hour Christmas enforcement period, 39 people were killed in collisions statewide and 1,170 drivers were jailed on drunken driving charges, the CHP said.

Last year, 25 people were killed over the New Year's holiday in California. Most were not wearing seat belts. Additionally, the CHP said, more than 1,200 drivers were arrested for driving under the influence.

The state Office of Traffic Safety provides funding for the Avoid the 9 program through a grant from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Officers encourage residents to report suspected drunken drivers by calling 911.