San Mateo police arrested 13 drivers suspected of driving under the influence during a nearly three-week enforcement push through Labor Day weekend.

The arrests came as part of the national "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" campaign, which ran Aug. 19 through Sept. 7. The San Mateo Police Department deployed extra patrols and held a DUI checkpoint on Aug. 21 at South Norfolk Street and Shoreview Avenue, according to a department press release issued Thursday, Sept. 10.

Officers screened 630 vehicles at the checkpoint, which ran from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. Four drivers received citations, one field sobriety test was conducted, and one driver was arrested for DUI at the scene.

The remaining 12 DUI arrests occurred during stepped-up patrols over the campaign period. The department did not specify the exact start date of its enforcement window.

Traffic Sgt. Nick Ryan said in a Jan. 27 media release announcing a separate checkpoint that "impaired drivers put others on the road at significant risk, as well as themselves."

Alcohol-involved crashes accounted for 34% of all traffic fatalities in California in 2024, roughly four deaths per day, according to the department.

Nationally, 170 of the 505 people killed in traffic crashes during the 2024 Labor Day holiday period died in alcohol-impaired collisions. TechTimes reported the figures, citing data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

A first-time DUI charge in California carries an average of $13,500 in fines and penalties. It can also mean a suspended license.

The department noted that impairment is not limited to alcohol. Cannabis products, illicit drugs, and some prescription and over-the-counter medications can affect driving ability.

A grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through NHTSA, funded the enforcement program. Residents who spot an impaired driver can call SMPD at (650) 522-7700 or dial 911 in an emergency.