Prosecutors in seven California counties warned Wednesday that they are seeing a rapid rise in deadly DUI crashes just as people begin socializing for the holidays and planning New Year’s Eve outings.
Traffic fatalities jumped 15% statewide, comparing the most recent statistics for October to a year ago, though not all were linked to impaired driving.
The district attorneys largely blamed the coronavirus pandemic.
“We’ve been facing a very difficult time for the last almost two years now,” said Sacramento County District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert. “I don’t think it’s a coincidence that we’re seeing increased DUI fatalities.”