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January 27, 2011 (San Diego)--San Diego Police Department will conduct a driving under the influence (DUI) checkpoint on Friday, January 28 at an undisclosed location within city limits between 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. If officers suspect that a driver has been drinking or is impaired by drugs, they will conduct a field sobriety test.
If you fail, expect jail, vehicle storage fees, license suspension and insurance rate increases, the Department warns--along with fines, fees, DUI classes and other expenses that can exceed $10,000. Officers will also check for proper licensing.
DUI checkpoints have been shown effective in reducing the number of persons killed and injured in alcohol involved crashes, as well as heightening awareness of the dangers of impaired driving.
Statewide, overall traffic deaths declined by 23 percent, from 3,995 in 2007 to 3,081 in 2009. Total traffic fatalities are at their lowest levels in six decades, when the federal government began compiling figures. DUI deaths declined by 16 percent, from 1,132 in 2007 to 950 in 2009, according to federal statistics. Alcohol impaired deaths still make up the largest category of overall vehicle fatalities in 2009, with 31 percent of all deaths caused by a drunk or impaired driver.
“Everyone in California should be heartened with these figures,” said Christopher J. Murphy, Director of the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS). “But as encouraging as this is, we can’t let up on the efforts to encourage and support traffic safety. You can help make your community safe; if you see a Drunk Driver – Call 9-1-1.”
Funding for this and other DUI checkpoints is provided to San Diego Police Department by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, targeting those who still don’t heed the message to designate a sober driver.
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