From Bill Lindelof:

A new push to set up more sobriety checkpoints during the holiday season will include the city of Sacramento, where police have had to deal with a high number of drunken-driving deaths and injuries.

"Our whole objective is to let people know that law enforcement is out in full force," said Chris Murphy, head of the California Office of Traffic Safety. "DUI arrests are higher than they have been since 1993. Anyone with a cell phone is looking for a weaving car. The chances of getting caught are better than ever."

A record $8 million will be given to 148 law enforcement agencies -- up from $5 million -- to conduct the most-ever sobriety checkpoints in the state in 2010.

The state plans to make 2010 the "Year of the Checkpoint," during which 2,500 sobriety checks will be conducted through the year. A total of 250 checkpoints are planned through Jan. 3.

At least eight checkpoints will be in Sacramento County in the next two weeks, Murphy said. A sobriety checkpoint is planned for tonight in the south area near 47th Avenue and Highway 99.

Figures from 2007, the most recent statistics available, show that of cities larger than 250,000 population, Sacramento has the highest rate of traffic death and injury and also the highest rate of death and injury in alcohol-related accidents, the state OTS reports.

The National Transportation Traffic Safety Administration reports that 26 people were killed in drunk-driving accidents in 2008 in Sacramento County, down from 36 deaths in 2007.

The California Highway Patrol reports the number of alcohol-involved injuries also fell, from 1,353 in 2007 to 1,237 in 2008 for the entire county.

"Most of our large cities have significant problems," Murphy said. "It just so happens that of the top 13 cities, Sacramento was ranked as having more alcohol-related crashes.

"I know the Sacramento Police Department is doing everything they can. They have new grants that were awarded, and they are stepping up the number of checkpoints in 2010. It's not for lack of effort. They really are working diligently."

Research indicates that DUI checkpoints are a major contributer to the declines. Also important in cutting drunken driving is the ease of calling 911 and the prevalence of cell phones.

"There are so many people who drive our streets drunk," Murphy said. "Anyone with a cell phone could report you to law enforcement."