Newport Beach Police to Hold DUI Checkpoint

Don’t forget your designated driver!

The Newport Beach Police Department Traffic Unit will conduct a DUI/Drivers License Checkpoint on Friday, May 29, between the hours of 8:00 p.m. and 2:00 a.m.

DUI Checkpoints locations are chosen based on collision statistics and frequency of DUI arrests.

Research shows that crashes involving an impaired driver can be reduced by up to 20 percent when well-publicized DUI checkpoints and proactive DUI patrols are conducted routinely.

In California, impaired driving led to 802 deaths in 2012. Nationally, the latest data shows nearly 10,000 were killed.

“Over the course of the past three years, DUI collisions have claimed three lives and resulted in 187 injury crashes harming 249 of our friends and neighbors,” said Newport Beach Police Sgt. Michael Schiavi.

Officers will look for signs of alcohol or drug impairment while also checking drivers for proper licensing.

Recent statistics reveal 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.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), checkpoints have provided the most effective documented results of any of the DUI enforcement strategies, while also yielding considerable cost savings of $6 for every $1 spent.

Nearly 90 percent of California drivers approve of DUI checkpoints.

--Patch Image Archive

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