Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer is warning the public about the heightened risks of driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs during the holidays, especially while hospitals are overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients.

Feuer also announced that for the ninth consecutive year, his office has been awarded a Driving Prosecution Grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety to expand the prosecution of impaired drivers.

“It’s essential during this holiday season to remind people about how dangerous driving under the influence of alcohol, drugs or a combination of both can be. Even in a year of safer-at home orders, my office has prosecuted more than 5,000 drivers, just since January. If you are under the influence, avert a tragedy and stay off the road,” Feuer said. “We’re also facing the nightmare scenario of overwhelmed hospitals and ICUs at capacity. If you’re in a car accident, either as a driver or passenger, it could be very hard to get help.”

Despite bars, restaurants and nightclubs being closed under public health orders, and parties mostly prohibited during significant portions of the year, driving under the influence remains a serious problem, authorities said. From Jan. 1 through Dec. 1, the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office filed 5,085 DUI cases.

Of those cases, 4,601 involved alcohol, 384 involved drugs and 100 were a combination of both. Additionally, 308 cases were additional filings against drivers for allegedly attempting to thwart an ignition interlock device requirement. Similar to a breathalyzer, the devices are required by the Department of Motor Vehicles when an individual has been convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol. The devices require periodic samples to ensure that a driver has not consumed alcohol. Failure to have an ignition interlock device is a separate misdemeanor that can result in an additional fine of up to $5,000 and six months in jail. A former member of the California Assembly, Feuer in 2009 authored Assembly Bill 91, which created the ignition interlock device law.

Feuer’s office has received a $980,000 Driving Prosecution Grant to continue criminal prosecutions of alcohol- and drug-impaired driving cases and overall efforts to prevent DUIs. Members of Feuer’s Driving Under the Influence of Drugs Unit will work with the California Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor Training Network to expand their knowledge and resources through specialized training. Members of the unit will also share the information with peers and law enforcement partners.

“If you drink or use drugs and decide to drive, you put lives at risk,” California Office of Traffic Safety Director Barbara Rooney said. “This funding from the OTS makes sure that those who make the choice to drive under the influence are held accountable for their actions.”

The drug unit is also leading a statewide data collection effort to more fully understand the impact of impaired driving. Among the data being examined is the effect of cannabis on drivers, the crash risk associated with different drugs and different combinations of drugs, the time of the blood draw as it relates to how fast the body processes alcohol, and impaired driving differences between men and women. The information will give lawmakers the tools they need to implement sentencing enhancements for certain drugs that present higher risks than others, Feuer said. The specialized unit is led by Farhad Khadem and includes Deputy City Attorneys Magdalena Casas, Anthony King and George Topchyan, as well as administrative coordinator Vanessa Chavez. For information, visit lacityattorney.org.