SDPD is cracking down on drug-Impaired drivers this Cinco de Mayo weekend. NBC 7’s Danica McAdam has more.
Cinco de Mayo weekend is here and San Diego police are cracking down on impaired drivers, as drug-impaired driver arrests have increased in the last year, according to San Diego Police and the California State Office of Traffic Safety.
Police credit their training from two years ago to the increase in legal and illegal drug-impaired drivers arrested.
A former ride-hailing driver walking in Pacific Beach, near an SDPD check-point Friday night, Greg Rizk said he was not surprised by the increase knowing how many ride-hailing drivers he knew who drove while using drugs.
“I know there are a lot of people who drive after they’ve smoked some pot and they say they are 100 percent fine to drive,” said Rizk.
He said as a driver he had wild experiences with passengers that would shock him.
“I’ve been offered drugs before as a reward for being a good driver,” said Rizk.
He also knows the ride-hailing community had select drivers who would take medication or abuse drugs to stay awake to drive longer shifts to make a living.
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“They were taking other substances in order to make sure they stayed awake,” explained Rizk.
SDPD Sgt. Matt Johnson said all ride-hailing drivers go through the check-points the same way as the other drivers.
Officers said on Friday night, the start to Cinco de Mayo weekend, they started a DUI checkpoint at 11 p.m. and within the first twenty minutes, had two arrests.
