South Lake Tahoe police, Placerville police, El Dorado County sheriff and the CHP will be out in force during the holiday season from Dec. 16-Jan. 2 to arrest anyone caught driving drunk behind the wheel.

“‘RUOK?’ is the text message version of the often heard question, ‘Are you OK to drive?’ If you have to ask someone the question, you already know the answer,” SLTPD Sgt. Shannon Laney said in a press release. “You know they have had too much to drink or are showing signs of being “buzzed.” You know that they are not OK to drive. Asking the question doesn’t relieve you of the responsibility. Call them a cab, take them home yourself, offer your couch.”

DUI/ driver’s license checkpoints, multi-agency DUI task force deployments and roving DUI patrols are scheduled locally in partnership with law enforcement statewide and around the county during the Winter Holiday Anti-DUI Campaign. DUI checkpoints are placed in locations that have the greatest opportunity for achieving drunk and drugged driving deterrence. Officers will be contacting drivers passing through the checkpoint for signs of alcohol and/or drug impairment. Grant funded drug recognition experts will be staffing most of the checkpoints.

DUI Checkpoints, along with regularly scheduled high visibility DUI enforcement, are proven strategies with the goal of removing impaired drivers from the road and heightening awareness of the dangers of driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, sobriety checkpoint programs can yield considerable cost savings: $6 for every $1 spent.

Laney recommends these tips for a safe holiday season:

• Plan a safe way home before the festivities begin;

• Before drinking, designate a sober driver and leave your car keys at home;

• If you’re impaired, use a taxi, call a sober friend or family member, or use public transportation;

• If you happen to see a drunk driver on the road, don’t hesitate to contact your local law enforcement, Call 911; and

• And remember, “RUOK?” is a ridiculous question. If you think they’ve had too much, they probably have. Help him or her make other arrangements to get home safely.