DUI Checkpoint In Newark Tonight

NEWARK, CA — The Newark Police Department will hold a DUI Checkpoint tonight from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m.

The exact location has been withheld. Police will only say that it is in the Newark city limits.

The location was chosen based on a history of DUI crashes and arrests.

The department reminds residents that the primary purpose of checkpoints is not to make arrests, but to promote public safety by deterring drivers from driving impaired.

“The safety of our community is and always will be our mission,” Captain Chomnan Loth said. “We are looking for impaired drivers because driving under the influence is dangerous and puts others on the road at risk.”

The police department reminds everyone that impaired driving is not just from alcohol. Some prescription medications or over-the-counter drugs may also interfere with driving. Always read warning labels about driving or “operating heavy machinery,” which includes driving a car.

While medicinal and recreational marijuana are legal, driving under the influence of marijuana is illegal.

Drivers charged with a first-time DUI face an average of $13,500 in fines and penalties, as well as a suspended license.

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