OAKHURST – Oakhurst Area of the California Highway Patrol will be conducting a DUI/Driver License Safety Checkpoint on Saturday, June 16, within an unincorporated area of Madera County.
The CHP notes that the deterrent effect of DUI checkpoints is “a proven resource in reducing the number of persons killed and injured in alcohol or drug involved crashes. Research shows that crashes involving an impaired driver can be reduced by up to 20 percent when well-publicized DUI checkpoints and proactive DUI patrols are conducted routinely.”
Nationally, the latest data shows over 10,000 people were killed by an impaired driver. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2016, approximately one in six children (ages 14 and younger) died in DUI collisions. An astonishing fifty-four percent of the time, it was the child’s own driver who was driving under the influence.
Officers will be looking for signs of alcohol and/or drug impairment and checking drivers for proper licensing, delaying motorists only momentarily.
A report from the Governors Highway Safety Association found that in 2016, 44 percent of fatally injured drivers with known results tested positive for drugs, up from 28 percent just 10 years prior.
DUI Checkpoints are placed in locations based on collision statistics and frequency of DUI arrests, affording the greatest opportunity for achieving drunk and drugged driving deterrence. Locations are chosen with safety considerations for the officers and the public.
Drivers caught driving impaired can expect the impact of a DUI arrest to include jail time, fines, fees, DUI classes, and other expenses that can exceed $10,000.
Funding for this checkpoint is provided to the California Highway Patrol by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
(Editor’s note: The CHP is required by law to notify the public of these types of checkpoints in advance).
