FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Lt. T. Albergo, 760-839-4901

The Escondido Police Department Traffic Unit will be conducting a DUI/Driver’s License checkpoint on Saturday, November 17, 2012. In addition, roving DUI officers will be assigned until 3 AM.   Checkpoints are placed in locations that have the greatest opportunity for achieving drunk and drugged driving deterrence, provide ample educational opportunities, and provide the greatest safety for officers and the public. 

Officers will be contacting drivers passing through the checkpoint and looking for signs of alcohol and/or drug impairment.  They will also be checking to ensure drivers are properly licensed. DUI Checkpoints along with regularly scheduled high visibility DUI enforcement serves as a proven deterrent with the goal of removing impaired drivers and heightened awareness of the dangers of driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol.   

In 2010, over 10,000 people were killed nationally in motor vehicle traffic crashes that involved at least one driver or motorcycle rider with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 percent or higher. In Californian, this deadly crime led to 791 deaths because someone failed to designate a sober driver. The age group with the highest percentage of alcohol-impaired-driving fatalities in motor vehicle traffic crashes was the 21-to-24 age group.   

The objective is to send a clear message to those who are considering driving a motor vehicle after consuming alcohol and/or drugs: if you drive buzzed, drunk, or impaired by drugs you will go to jail.  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.  

Those arrested for DUI will face jail time, loss of their driver licenses, or being sentenced to use ignition interlocks. Their insurance rates go up. Other financial hits include attorney fees, court costs, lost time at work, and the potential loss of job or job prospects. When family, friends and co-workers find out, violators can also face tremendous personal embarrassment and humiliation.

Funding for this operation is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Drunk Driving: Over the Limit, Under Arrest – Report Drunk Drivers – Call 911