Sobriety Checkpoint Will Be Set Up in Essex County Friday Into Saturday

If you plan to party Friday night and then get behind the wheel, consider yourself warned.

The State Police announced Friday morning that sometime Friday night into Saturday, somewhere in Essex County, police will set up a sobriety checkpoint. All North Shore towns, plus others inland like Andover and North Andover, are in Essex County.

"The purpose is to further educate the motoring public and strengthen the public’s awareness to the need of detecting and removing those motorists who operate under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs from our roadways," a State Police press release said. "It will be operated during varied hours, the selection of vehicles will not be arbitrary, safety will be assured, and any inconveniences to motorists will be minimized with advance notice to reduce fear and anxiety."

This will be the second sobriety check point put up this month in Essex County. Another one was put up the first weekend of October. State Police had not yet responded to Patch requests for statistics about how many drivers were charged with drunken driving during that checkpoint.