Police to Set Up DUI Checkpoint Tonight

The will be conducting a DUI/Drivers License checkpoint tonight, Sept. 29, between the hours of 6 p.m. and 12 a.m.

Officers will be checking drivers through the checkpoint for signs of alcohol and/or drug impairments and for proper licensing.

Police say they will strive to impact motorists only momentarily. If officers suspect that a driver has been drinking or is impaired, they will conduct a field sobriety test. Those who fail the test should expect jail, vehicle storage fees, license suspension, insurance rate increases, along with fines, fees, DUI classes, and other expenses that can exceed $10,000.

The Pacifica Police often set up checkpoints between Crespi Drive and Linda Mar Boulevard, but tonight's may be anywhere in town.

“Collisions caused by drivers under the influence of alcohol and drugs continue to be a problem within the city of Pacifica. In an effort to reduce the number of collisions and injuries to our citizens, the Pacifica Police Department exercises a zero tolerance stance with DUI drivers,” said Pacifica Police Sergeant Daniel Steidle in a press statement.

Statewide, overall traffic deaths declined by 23 percent, from 3,995 in 2007 to 3,081 in 2009. Total traffic fatalities are at their lowest levels in six decades, when the federal government began compiling figures. DUI deaths declined by 16 percent, from 1,132 in 2007 to 950 in 2009, according to federal statistics. Alcohol impaired deaths still make up the largest category of overall vehicle fatalities in 2009, with 31 percent of all deaths caused by a drunk or impaired driver.

“Everyone in California should be heartened with these figures,” said Christopher J. Murphy, Director of the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS), in a press release. “But as encouraging as this is, we can’t let up on the efforts to encourage and support traffic safety. You can help make your community safe; if you see a drunk driver, call 9-1-1.”

Funding for this and other DUI checkpoints are provided to Pacifica Police Department by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, targeting those who still don’t heed the message to designate a sober driver.