The Santa Monica Police had set up a DUI (Driving Under the Influence) checkpoint somewhere in the Lincoln Blvd and Michigan Ave area, and were stopping drivers Friday evening.
FromSTAFF REPORTS
As a part of the check point, officers checked driver’s licenses to make sure they were valid and legal.
Officers from the Santa Monica Police Department stopped drivers to confirm their sobriety and drivers license status. This was the first of several checkpoints to be conducted over the next year.
Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
In a statement, the police department reminded Santa Monicans who plan to drink to have a designated driver or call a taxi cab to take you safely home. It is also the way to avoid being sited at this check point.
Since 2005, the number of alcohol involved fatalities has dropped, thanks to efforts like this, the statement said, but law enforcement and the public must continue to work toward zero deaths.
“Law enforcement officers are doing more to remove drunk drivers from California’s streets and highways thanks to our DUI traffic safety funding,” said Christopher J. Murphy, director of the California Office of Traffic Safety, in the statement. “But everyone can help make their communities safer. If you see a Drunk Driver, call 911.”
For more information please contact Sergeant Larry Horn at the Santa Monica Police Department Traffic Enforcement Unit at 310-458-8950, or the Public Information Officer, Sergeant Trisler at 310-458-8471.