DUI Checkpoint Slated For Friday Night In Santa Monica

SANTA MONICA, CA — Police in Santa Monica will mark the long Labor Day weekend with a pair of events to raise awareness about the dangers of impaired driving.

Officers will kick off the unofficial end-of-summer holiday Friday with a DUI checkpoint at an undisclosed location in Santa Monica from 6 p.m. to 3 a.m. followed by a "Know Your Limit" event Saturday. Labor Day weekend is traditionally the deadliest summer holiday for traffic fatalities in the Golden State, and police officials hope to help Santa Monica drivers understand the risks of driving while impaired.

"The goal is to help people understand the effects of alcohol so they can make smart decisions about how they get home," a department spokesperson said in a written release. "It only takes a few drinks to impair, and that’s why it is important that people know their limit."

According to the California Driver Handbook, a woman weighing 120 to 160 pounds who consumes two drinks within an hour, and a man weighing 180 to 220 pounds who consumes three drinks in an hour, would both be over the legal limit of .08 percent.

During the “Know Your Limit” event held from 7 p.m. to midnight Saturday, officers will ask customers at a Santa Monica venue how many drinks they've consumed and whether they believe they are still able to drive safely. Volunteers will be able to take a breathalyzer test to see if they are able to guess their blood alcohol content.

By publicizing Friday's DUI checkpoint, officials hope to deter revelers from making poor decisions before they get behind the wheel. Locations are determined based on data showing incidents of impaired driving-related crashes, a police spokesperson said.

Officers will be looking for signs of impairment from alcohol, prescription medications, marijuana and over-the-counter drugs that interfere with driving.

Drivers charged with a first-time DUI face an average of $13,500 in fines and penalties, as well as a suspended license, according to the Santa Monica Police Department.