ENCINITAS — As part of a DUI awareness and education event, officers from the North Coastal Sheriff’s Station heard a wide range of explanations from people imbibing and enjoying their Saturday nights out along South Coast Highway 101.
One man laughed, insisting the drinks he’d had were watery. Another rationalized that he was “a big dude,” while a woman said that, though she had several drinks that day, none had been in the past hour.
But no one was in trouble. The point of these and dozens of similar encounters was to provide information.
Sheriff’s Lt. Michael Davis told The Coast News that the “Know Your Limits” event on March 14 was “purely educational” and designed to increase awareness around what it means to be intoxicated, particularly as it applies to driving.
“It’s for the community,” Davis said. “We want them to be informed before they get behind the wheel.”
Officers struck up conversations with people passing by their tent and tables in the 7-Eleven parking lot along South Coast Highway 101 in downtown Encinitas. For people interested in learning more, officers asked a series of questions about how much they had to drink, how they were feeling and whether they felt safe to drive.
Many then blew into breathalyzer devices to test their BAC — the legal limit is 0.08 — to see if their feelings about their sobriety matched the test result. From there, officers discussed best practices and other safety measures with participants.
No enforcement occurred related to the event, and officers did not ask for names. At one point, when The Coast News asked for a person’s name to take their picture, the officer insisted on walking away so as not to accidentally overhear it.
For many enjoying the evening without drinking, officers mimicked impairment by having people wear “drunk goggles,” which disorient the wearer and make simple tasks — such as giving a high five or walking in a straight line — difficult.
Mayor Bruce Ehlers stopped by to observe the event and try on the drunk goggles himself.
Ehlers said he was impressed with sheriff’s Capt. Shane Watts and his staff for educating the public as part of the department‘s ongoing effort to improve safety throughout the city.
“It’s so great because they’re interacting with the crowd in such a positive way,” Ehlers said. “Every time they do this, they come back with stories.”
Watts told The Coast News that he wanted law enforcement to communicate with a range of stakeholders throughout the community as part of the shared goal of safety.
“Who doesn’t want safe streets? It’s really about partnering with the community, getting their support,” Watts said. “We’re all part of the solution in keeping our roadways safe.”
He said the goal was to ensure people can have a good time when they visit the various bars, breweries and other establishments in Encinitas, but also get home safely.
“If we can prevent a DUI, if we can give the community the tools before they make a bad decision — or help them make a better decision — then that’s what we should be doing,” Watts said. “Prevent it before it happens. That’s really the whole point of why we’re out here trying to educate the community.”
Saturday’s event built on the previous “Know Your Limits” event held the night before Thanksgiving in 2025, a night commonly known as “Blackout Wednesday.”
Watts said that as part of his “full circle approach,” he wanted to partner with other groups in Encinitas, including the city government, code enforcement, the fire department and Safe Streets Encinitas, a citizen group that advocates for roadway safety.
In addition to the tent, breathalyzer and educational component, Watts led a group that included Fire Chief Josh Gordon and Bryant Jemison, Encinitas’ code enforcement supervisor, into several establishments where alcohol was being served Saturday night.
Watts said an important part of overall safety was “reaching out to the establishments, going inside and making sure that they’re upholding their part of the deal too.”
Jemison told The Coast News that he was mainly looking to ensure bars and other businesses posed no risk to public safety, such as making sure sidewalks were clear and no one was being overserved.
Ehlers said balancing fun and safety can be tricky, but it benefits from ongoing conversations within the community.
“It’s all about keeping people safe downtown, especially on nights where they’re out having a really good time,” he said. “We want to be very careful that we control the bad elements. While also, I see thousands of people here tonight having a really good time. We want that to happen, too.”
