The Sacramento Police Department will conduct a sobriety and drivers license checkpoint on Thursday, May 23, 2013, at Broadway and 21^st Street. The checkpoint will begin at 8:00 p.m. and run for 5-7 hours. This checkpoint will be dedicated to the victims of injury and fatal DUI collisions that have occurred in our region. With the assistance of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and the Sacramento Law Enforcement Chaplaincy, we will have a dedication ceremony and additional education materials/media on hand.

Traffic flowing through the checkpoint will be contacted by uniformed officers, who will be checking for alcohol and/or drug-impaired drivers. Specially trained officers will be available to evaluate those suspected of drug-impaired driving. Officers will also check to make sure all drivers have a valid driver's license.

In 2011, nearly 10,000 people were killed nationally in motor vehicle traffic crashes that involved at least one driver or motorcycle rider with a blood alcohol concentration of .08% or higher. In California, this deadly crime led to 774 deaths because someone failed to designate a sober driver. 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. 

"DUI checkpoints have been an essential part of the phenomenal reduction in DUI deaths that we witnessed since 2006 in California," said Christopher J. Murphy, Director of the Office of Traffic Safety.  "But since the tragedy of DUI accounts for nearly one third of traffic fatalities, Sacramento needs the high visibility enforcement and public awareness that checkpoints provide."

The purpose of the checkpoint is to promote public safety, increase awareness of the dangers associated with drinking and driving, and serve as a deterrent to potential impaired and unlicensed drivers. Please plan to Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over and to Report Drunk Drivers - call 911.  Funding for this program is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Please direct any inquiries to Sergeant Chris Prince at (916) 808-6069. Media is encouraged to attend the checkpoint to provide public awareness of the impacts of drinking and driving.