DUI checkpoint nets one arrest
–The San Luis Obispo Police Department Traffic Unit Conducted a DUI/Driver’s License checkpoint on Friday, Dec. 21. The checkpoint was in the 900 block of Marsh between the hours of 6 p.m. and 2 a.m., resulting in the following:
482 Vehicles Screened
0 DUI-Alcohol suspects arrested
0 DUI-Drug impaired suspects arrested
1 Suspect arrested for illegal drugs (possession/transportation/sales)
1 Arrested on other Criminal Charges
2 Drivers cited/arrested for operating a vehicle unlicensed or while suspended/revoked 1 Citation issued
Checkpoints are placed in locations that have the greatest opportunity for achieving drunk and drugged driving deterrence and provide the greatest safety for officers and the public.
In recent years, California has seen a disturbing increase in drug-impaired driving crashes. San Luis Obispo supports the new effort from the Office of Traffic Safety that aims to educate all drivers that “DUI Doesn’t Just Mean Booze.” If you take prescription drugs, particularly those with a driving or operating machinery warning on the label, you might be impaired enough to get a DUI. Marijuana can also be impairing, especially in combination with alcohol or other drugs, and can result in a DUI.
Studies of California drivers have shown that 30-percent of drivers in fatal crashes had one or more drugs in their systems. A study of active drivers showed more tested positive for drugs that may impair driving (14 percent) than did for alcohol (7.3 percent). Of the drugs, marijuana was most prevalent, at 7.4 percent, slightly more than alcohol.
San Luis Obispo PD offers these reminders to ensure a fun night doesn’t get spoiled with 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
way to get home safely by taking a cab, ride-share services like Uber or Lyft, or using public transportation. You can also look up designated driver services in your area using the National Directory of Designated Driver Services (NDDDS). - If you are a DD, bars, and restaurants statewide have created non-alcoholic specialty drinks (“DDrinks”) for sober drivers: http://bit.ly/OTSDDrinks
- If you happen to see a drunk driver on the road, call 911. Offer a description of the vehicle, location, and direction of travel
- See your friend or other patron impaired trying to get behind the wheel? Take the keys or help them make other arrangements to get where they are going safely.
Drivers caught driving impaired and charged with DUI can expect the impact of a DUI arrest to be approximately $13,500. This includes fines, fees, DUI classes, license suspension, and other expenses not to mention possible jail time.
San Luis Obispo PD will be conducting another DUI/Driver’s License Checkpoint mid- summer in our ongoing commitment to take suspected impaired drivers off our streets and highways, ultimately lowering the risk for deaths and injuries.
The checkpoint was funded by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
