A DUI/Driver’s License Checkpoint will be held in Santa Monica next Friday, Feb. 10, at an undisclosed location, the Santa Monica Police Department announced today.
SMPD Sgt. Richard Lewis said this was part of an ongoing campaign to reduce the number of persons killed and injured in alcohol involved crashes.
“DUI checkpoints are conducted to identify offenders and remove them from the street, as well as bring awareness to our community of the dangers of impaired driving,” Lewis said.
“Officers will be contacting drivers passing through the checkpoint looking for signs of alcohol and/or drug impairment.”
Drivers caught driving impaired can expect jail, license suspension, and insurance increases, as well as fines, fees, DUI classes, court probation and other expenses that can exceed $10,000.
All too often, members of our community are senselessly injured or killed on local roadways by impaired drivers.
“Over the course of the past year, DUI drivers were involved in 12 collisions, which injured 19 people,” said Santa Monica Police Lieutenant Jay Trisler.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), checkpoints have provided the most effective documented results of any of the DUI enforcement strategies, while also yielding considerable cost savings of $6 for every $1 spent.
The Santa Monica Police Department reminds drivers if you plan on drinking, have a designated driver or call a taxi cab to take you safely home. For more information please contact Sergeant Phillbo Rubish at the Santa Monica Police Department Traffic Section at 310-458-8950, or the Public Information Officer, Sergeant Richard Lewis at 310.458.8462.
Funding for this operation is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
