Results In From Weekend DUI Checkpoint In Rohnert Park-Cotati

The Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety Traffic team conducted a DUI and driver’s license checkpoint on Friday from 7 p.m. until 3 a.m. Saturday morning.

The checkpoint was set to screen eastbound drivers on East Cotati near Santero Way, and 1,002 vehicles passed through, police said. Of those motorists, 14 drivers were screened for either DUI evaluation or driver’s license checks and only one driver was cited for not having a license, police said. No vehicles were towed.

“It was amazing how many rideshare companies such as Lyft and Uber came through the checkpoint. The same drivers came through up to 15 times, each time with a car full of people, the majority whom had been drinking. The fact that we did not arrest anyone for DUI is actually a good thing. It means the message is getting out that driving while intoxicated is not only dangerous but costly,” said Sgt. Johnson from the Rohnert Park DPS. “The majority of the riders seemed to be Sonoma State University students; it is really nice to see all of these people getting home safely”.

The Department of Public Safety encourages everyone to call a cab, rideshare or a sober driver if they plan on drinking. A taxi fare from one side of the county to the other will not exceed $50; however, a DUI merely blocks away from your home could cost you over $10,000.

The department is planning two more checkpoints in the near future.

Funding for this checkpoint is provided to the Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, targeting those who still don’t heed the message to designate a sober driver.

--File photo