Watch Out For South Bay DUI Checkpoint This Weekend

REDONDO BEACH, CA – Redondo Beach Police Department Traffic Unit will be conducting a DUI/Drivers License Checkpoint at an undisclosed location within city limits between 7 p.m. and 3 a.m. on Saturday, August 26.

California has seen an increase in drug-impaired driving crashes in recent years, according to the press release, so Redondo Beach Police supports the new effort from the Office of Traffic Safety that aims to educate all drivers that “DUI Doesn’t Just Mean Booze.” Those ingesting marijuana or prescription drugs with a "driving or operating machinery" warning on the label, may be impaired enough to get a DUI.

In California, collisions involving alcohol led to 1,155 deaths and nearly 24,000 serious injuries in 2014. Over the course of the past three years Redondo Beach PD officers have investigated approximately 230 DUI collisions which have claimed 2 lives and resulted in another 78 injuries, according to the press release.

Officers will be looking for signs of alcohol and/or drug impairment, as well as checking drivers for proper licensing – this will delay motorists only for a moment. When possible, specifically trained officerswill evaluate those suspected of drug-impaired driving.

RBPD encourages drivers to download the free Designated Driver VIP, or “DDVIP,” mobile app to help find nearby bars and restaurants that feature free incentives for the designated sober driver.

Drivers caught driving impaired can expect a DUI arrest, jail time, fines, fees, DUI classes, license suspensions, and other expenses that can exceed $10,000. Funding for this checkpoint is provided to the Redondo Beach Police Department by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, reminding everyone to report drunk drivers by calling 911.

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