The Santa Monica Police Department’s Traffic Unit will be conducting a DUI/Driver’s License Checkpoint on Dec. 19, 2014, at an undisclosed location within city limits. The operation will take place between the hours of 7 pm and 3 am.
SMPD Sgt. Rudy Camarena said the deterrent effect of DUI checkpoints is a proven factor in reducing the number of persons killed and injured in alcohol and/or drug related collisions.
“Research shows that accidents involving impaired drivers can be reduced by up to 20 percent when well-publicized, enforcement checkpoints and proactive DUI patrols are conducted routinely,” Camarena said. “Traffic Officers will be looking for objective signs of alcohol and/or drug impairment and verify that motorists are in possession of a valid driver’s license.”
In California, drunk driving led to the tragic deaths of 802 persons in 2012. Nationally, the latest data shows nearly 10,000 people were killed by impaired drivers. Recent statistics reveal that 30 percent of drivers in fatal collisions had traces of one or more drugs in their systems.
The study showed that more drivers tested positive for drug impairment (14 percent) than did for alcohol (7.3 percent).
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. Nearly 90 percent of California Drivers approve of DUI checkpoints.
Funding for this checkpoint is provided to the Santa Monica Police Department by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which along with the Santa Monica Police Department would like to remind everyone to call 911 to report drunk drivers.
