DUI/Driver License Checkpoint Planned This Weekend

SANTA ROSA, CA – The Santa Rosa Police Department Traffic Unit will hold a DUI/driver license checkpoint beginning at 7 p.m. Friday Sept. 21 through 3 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 22 at an undisclosed location within the city, officials said today.

Deterrent effects of DUI checkpoints are proven in reducing the number of persons killed and injured in alcohol-or drug-involved crashes, police said, adding that research shows crashes involving impaired drivers can be reduced by up to 20 percent when well-publicized DUI checkpoints and proactive DUI patrols are conducted routinely.

The checkpoint will be situated in a location, that based on collision statistics and frequency of DUI arrests, will offer the best opportunity for achieving drunk- and drugged-driving deterrence, along with safety considerations for officers and the public, police said.

In California in 2014, 882 deaths and more than 23,000 serious injuries were attributed to impaired drivers. From 2012 to 2014 in Santa Rosa, officers investigated 174 injury-DUI collisions which claimed one life and resulted in 244 injuries, the department said.

At Friday's checkpoint, motorists will be screened for alcohol-and/or drug-impairment, along with proper licensing.

Drug-impaired driving now accounts for a growing number of crashes, with recent statistics showing 30 percent of drivers in fatal crashes had one or more drugs in their systems, according to authorities.

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

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