DUI Checkpoint Planned in Berkeley

BERKELEY, CA — Berkeley Police will conduct a DUI/Driver’s License Checkpoint on Friday, Jan. 13, between the hours of 8 p.m. and 3 a.m. The location was chosen because of collision statistics and frequency of DUI arrests.

According to a written statement from police, "Officers will be looking for signs of alcohol and/or drug impairment, with officers checking drivers for proper licensing, delaying motorists only momentarily. 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."

Funding for the checkpoint is provided to the Berkeley Police Department by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety. Police say the deterrent effect of using both DUI checkpoints and DUI Saturation Patrols has proven to lower the number of people killed and injured in alcohol or drug impaired crashes.

In California, alcohol involved collisions led to 1,155 deaths and nearly 24,000 serious injuries in 2014 because someone failed to designate a sober driver. Over the course of the past three years, Berkeley PD has investigated 219 DUI collisions which have resulted in 91 injuries.

Studies of California drivers 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). Of the drugs, marijuana was most prevalent, at 7.4 percent, slightly more than alcohol.

Designated Driver VIP App

Drivers may 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.

-Image by Daniel Lane, Patch