DUI patrols will be on lookout during La Grange Rodeo

As the 69th annual rodeo on Sunday brings to La Grange bucking broncs, bull riding, barrel racing, breakaway roping and the unofficial event beer drinking, law enforcement will be on the roads to corral impaired drivers.

DUI saturation patrols will be conducted by Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department deputies and California Highway Patrol officers as part of the county Avoid the 12 partnership.

They will be patrolling throughout La Grange and the surrounding area looking for the telltale signs of impaired driving. “It is the hopes of the Avoid the 12 DUI Task Force that everyone enjoys the event festivities, but that they know when to say when,” said Avoid the 12 spokesman Deputy Patrick McCulloch in a news release, “and to plan for a designated driver prior to consuming alcoholic beverages.”

Recent statistics reveal that 30 percent of drivers in fatal crashes had one or more drugs in their systems, according to Avoid the 12. A study of active drivers showed more tested positive for drugs that may impair driving (14 percent) than did for alcohol (7.3 percent). Of the drugs, marijuana was most prevalent, at 7.4 percent, slightly more than alcohol.

The La Grange Rodeo dance is from 8 p.m. to midnight Saturday at Louie’s Place Saloon and Grill, 30048 Yosemite Blvd.

Sunday’s rodeo begins with slack at 8 a.m., followed by the queen ceremony at noon and the grand entry at 1 p.m. Events are at the La Grange Rodeo Arena, 30433 Yosemite Blvd.

Rodeo tickets are $15 at the gate, $10 for kids 6-12, or free to 5 and younger. Presale tickets for $12 and $8 are available from members of the La Grange Rodeo Association, queen candidates and selected local businesses. For information, call Mike Verdegaal at 209-581-2420 or David Reynolds at 209-262-7719, or go to www.lagrangerodeoassociation.com.

The Avoid the 12 DUI campaign is funded by a grant from the California Office of Traffic safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

This story was originally published April 1, 2016 at 9:43 AM with the headline "DUI patrols will be on lookout during La Grange Rodeo."