DUI Checkpoint Planned This Weekend In San Rafael

SAN RAFAEL, CA – In an effort to stop drunk and drug-impaired driving around the city, the San Rafael Police Department will conduct a DUI and driver's license checkpoint Friday night.

The checkpoint will be held from 6 p.m. Friday to 1 a.m. Saturday at an undisclosed location within city limits. The location will be chosen based on collision statistics and frequency of DUI arrests, San Rafael police Sgt. Raul Aguilar said.

"The deterrent effect of high visibility enforcement using both DUI checkpoints and DUI saturation patrols has proven to lower the number of persons killed and injured in alcohol or drug-impaired crashes," Aguilar said. "Research shows that crashes involving an impaired driver can be reduced by up to 20 percent when well-publicized proactive DUI operations are conducted routinely."

During the Friday night checkpoint, officers will be on the lookout for drivers with signs of alcohol and/or drug impairment, Aguilar said. Police will also check for valid licensing, delaying motorists momentarily.

In California, alcohol-involved collisions led to 1,155 deaths and nearly 24,000 serious injuries in 2014, according to police. Studies of drivers in the Golden State have shown that 30 percent of drivers in fatal crashes had one or more drugs in their systems.

San Rafael police offered several tips to avoid getting a DUI:

• Decide before you go out whether you plan to drink or drive. You can't do both.
• If you plan to drink, designate a sober driver before going out or map out another safe way to get home by taxi, rideshare or public transportation. You can also look up designated driver services in your area using the National Directory of Designated Driver Services.
• See your friend or other patron impaired trying to get behind the wheel? Take the keys and help them make other arrangements to get where they are going safely.
• Report drunk drivers by calling 911.

Drivers caught driving impaired can expect jail time, license suspensions, towing fees, insurance increases and other expenses that can cost upwards of $13,500, according to police.

The checkpoint is funded by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Photo by Renee Schiavone/Patch