More than 1,600 people were arrested last year by San Diego County Sheriff deputies on suspicion of intoxicated driving. This year, deputies have arrested more than 1,200 people for driving under the influence so far. After sentencing and time served, their cases will go to San Diego County Probation officers who work hard to make sure the person does not re-offend.

In order to continue tackling and preventing intoxicated driving in order to reduce injuries and save lives, local law enforcement will receive nearly $5 million in federal grants for traffic safety initiatives.

The grants available include $550,000 for the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department and more than $480,000 for the San Diego County Probation Department.

Regional grants will be used by local law enforcement officer for DUI checkpoints, saturation patrols and funding traffic enforcement at problem intersections to prevent speeding, distracted driving, and other infractions known to cause crashes as well as educational outreach efforts.

In 2013, 201 people lost their lives and nearly 18,000 were seriously injured on San Diego roadways. More than 36 percent of those fatal collisions involved alcohol. Emergency Medical Services will also receive funding in order to purchase extrication equipment for crash victims.