The "Avoid the 12" DUI Task Force was out in full force over the Christmas and New Year's holiday period targeting the often deadly practice of drunk driving. The enforcement was part of the national "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" campaign, to save lives and make roads safer.

Officers representing 12 county law enforcement agencies in Stanislaus County arrested 86 individuals for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs from midnight on Dec. 18 through midnight at the close of Sunday, Jan. 3.

Thousands of lives would be saved each year if all drivers drove sober or caught a ride after drinking. In 2013 alone, 10,076 people were killed in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes in the U.S. California's DUI deaths stood at 867 that year. That's almost a third of all the traffic crash fatalities for the year according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

The Stanislaus County DUI Task Force and thousands of law enforcement agencies around the country teamed up with the NHTSA on the high-visibility enforcement campaign this year. The annual effort aims to reduce drunk driving year-round, not just on these few days during the winter holidays.

Law enforcement officials will be conducting more high visibility anti-DUI efforts throughout the county again on Super Bowl Sunday followed by a crackdown on St Patrick's Day. Police, Sheriff and the CHP encourage all motorists to help make the community safer: Report Drunk Drivers - Call 911 anytime you encounter a dangerous impaired driver.

Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.