The Santa Monica Police Department will conduct a DUI/Driver’s License Checkpoint tonight, Dec. 20. The SMPD never discloses the location, but it will be within city limits.
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.
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 SMPD reminds drivers that anyone planning on drinking should have a designated driver or call a taxi cab to get home safely.
Funding tonight’s operation is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
