DUI Checkpoint Planned In Berkeley

BERKELEY, CA — A DUI/Driver’s License Checkpoint will be held in Berkeley this Friday, March 22, on University Avenue and Bonar Street, between the hours of 7:30 p.m. and 3 a.m., according to the Berkeley Police Department.

Between 2014 and 2017, Berkeley PD investigated 273 DUI collisions which resulted in 106 injuries, according to statistics released by the department. In California, alcohol involved collisions led to 1,023 deaths and nearly 18,000 serious injuries in 2015 because someone failed to designate a sober driver.

Officers at the checkpoint will be looking for signs of alcohol or drug impairment, with officers checking drivers for proper licensing.

Studies here in California have shown that 30 percent of drivers in fatal crashes had one or more drugs in their systems. A study of active drivers showed more tested positive for drugs that may impair driving, 14 percent, than did for alcohol, 7.3 percent. This includes prescription medications and over-the-counter drugs. Always check pill bottles to see if medications cause drowsiness, or if they interact with alcohol.

This Berkeley checkpoint is being funded by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Last weekend, two people were killed in separate crashes believed to be DUI related -- one in El Sobrante and the other in Fremont. One of the drivers in the Fremont crash has beencharged with murder.

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— Bay City News