Weekend DUI Checkpoint Planned in Los Angeles

What:
Sobriety & Driver’s License Checkpoint

When:
Friday, February 17, 2012, 8 P.M. to
Saturday, February 18, 2012, 2 A.M.

Where:
Vermont Avenue at 5th Street
Los Angeles, California

Why:
The checkpoint is one of several that will be conducted throughout Los Angeles as part of the LAPD’s commitment to community safety.  DUI Checkpoints along with regularly scheduled high visibility DUI enforcement serves as a proven deterrent with the goal of removing impaired drivers and heightened awareness of the dangers of driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol.  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.

The crime of impaired driving is a serious one.  In 2009 alone, 950 people died in California DUI crashes in which a driver or motorcycle rider was at or above the legal limit.  The age group with the highest percentage of alcohol-impaired-driving fatalities in motor vehicle traffic crashes was the 21 to 24 age group.  Over the past three years, the LAPD has investigated over 3,500 fatal and injury DUI collision.

The LAPD recommends these simple tips if you plan on drinking:

Designate your sober driver before the outing begins
Avoid drinking too much alcohol too fast. Pace yourself – eat enough food, take breaks, and alternate with non-alcoholic drinks.
If you don’t have a designated driver, ask a sober friend for a ride home; call a cab, a friend, or a family member to come and get you.
Never let a friend get behind the wheel of their vehicle if you think they are about to drive while impaired.
Always buckle up – it’s still your best defense against impaired drivers.

The objective is to send a clear message to those who are considering driving a motor vehicle after consuming alcohol and/or drugs:  if you drive buzzed, drunk, or impaired by drugs you will go to jail.  According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), checkpoints have provided the most effective documented results of any of the DUI enforcement strategies, while also yielding considerable cost savings of $6 for every $1 spent.

Those arrested for DUI will face jail time, loss of their driver licenses, or being sentenced to use ignition interlocks. Their insurance rates go up. Other financial hits include attorney fees, court costs, lost time at work, and the potential loss of job or job prospects. When family, friends and co-workers find out, violators can also face tremendous personal embarrassment and humiliation.

The checkpoint was funded by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.  Please help the LAPD every day of the week:  Report Drunk Drivers – Call 9-1-1!

CONTACT:
For further information contact Sergeant Damon Aoki at 213-473-0222.