The Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station today announced it will join nearly 10,000 other law enforcement agencies nationwide in support of an intensive crackdown on impaired driving Aug. 19 to Sept. 5, known as “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.”

A DUI/Driver’s License Checkpoint is scheduled for tonight at an undisclosed location within the city limit beginning at 7: p.m.,  in partnership with law enforcement nationwide during the Summer/Labor Day Campaign.

The crime of impaired driving is a serious one. In 2009 alone, 10,839 people died in crashes in which a driver or motorcycle rider was at or above the legal limit, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The age group with the highest percentage of alcohol-impaired-driving fatalities in motor vehicle traffic crashes was the 21-to-24 age group.

“All too often, innocent, law-abiding people suffer tragic consequences and the loss of loved ones due to this careless disregard for human life. Because we’re committed to ending the carnage, we’re intensifying enforcement during the crackdown. Since twice as many alcohol-impaired accidents occur over the weekend and four times as many occur at night, we will be especially vigilant during these high-risk times when impaired drivers are most likely to be on our roads,” said Captain Becker, Commander of the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station.

Los Angeles County Avoid the 100 Task Force will also deploy DUI Driver’s License Checkpoints, Multi Agency DUI Task Force operations and local Roving DUI patrols during 18 day Summer/Labor Day Campaign.

“Our message is simple and unwavering: if we find you driving impaired, we will arrest you. No exceptions,” said Captain Becker. “Even if you beat the odds and manage to walk away from an impaired-driving crash alive, the trauma and financial costs of a crash or an arrest for driving while impaired can still destroy your life.”

According to Santa Clarita Valley Station deputies, violators will face jail time, loss of their driver licenses, or being sentenced to use ignition interlocks. Their insurance rates go up. Other financial hits include attorney fees, court costs, lost time at work, and the potential loss of job or job prospects. When family, friends and co-workers find out, violators can also face tremendous personal embarrassment and humiliation.

The national “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” crackdown is led by NHTSA with the California Avoid DUI Task Force Campaign combining high-visibility enforcement and heightened public awareness through publicity. For more information, visit the High-Visibility Enforcement Campaign Headquarters at www.StopImpairedDriving.org.