DUI Checkpoint Planned In Concord

CONCORD, CA — The Concord Police Department Traffic Unit is planning to hold a DUI checkpoint this holiday week. The checkpoint will be conducted between 9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 28 and 3 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 29 at an undisclosed location within the city limits, Concord police Cpl. Tim Elsberry said in a news release.

Officers will be looking for signs of alcohol and/or drug impairment, delaying motorists only momentarily, Elsberry said.

"When possible, specially trained officers will be available to evaluate those suspected of drug-impaired driving, which now accounts for a growing number of impaired driving crashes."

Elsberry noted that the Concord Police Department supports the new effort from the Office of Traffic Safety that aims to educate all drivers that "DUI Doesn’t Just Mean Booze."

"If you take prescription drugs, particularly those with a driving or operating machinery warning on the label, you might be impaired enough to get a DUI," Elsberry said. "Marijuana can also be impairing, especially in combination with alcohol or other drugs, and can result in a DUI."

DUI checkpoints such as the one planned for Friday night in Concord are placed in locations based on collision statistics and frequency of DUI arrests, affording the greatest opportunity for achieving drunk and drugged driving deterrence. Locations are chosen with safety considerations for the officers and the public.

The deterrent effect of High Visibility Enforcement using both DUI checkpoints and DUI Saturation Patrols has proven to lower the number of persons killed and injured in alcohol- or drug-impaired crashes, Elsberry said.

During the 2017 Thanksgiving (Nov. 22-26) and Christmas (Dec. 22-25) holidays, 99 people were killed and nearly 4,500 people were injured on California roads. Of those deadly crashes, nearly 35 percent involved alcohol.

Research shows that crashes involving an impaired driver can be reduced by up to 20 percent when well-publicized proactive DUI operations are conducted routinely, Elsberry said.

Drivers are encouraged to download the Designated Driver VIP, or “DDVIP,” free mobile app for Android or iPhone. The DDVIP app helps find nearby bars and restaurants that feature free incentives for the designated sober driver, from free non-alcoholic drinks to free appetizers and more. The feature- packed app even has social media tie-ins and even a tab for the non-DD to call Uber, Lyft or Curb.

Funding for this checkpoint is provided to Concord Police Department by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Patch file photo by Renee Schiavone/Patch