The second DUI checkpoint in just over two weeks is scheduled for somewhere in Hollister on Saturday, according to police.
A checkpoint searching for drivers who are driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs is scheduled for an unidentified location in Hollister city limits on Sept. 1, police Sgt. Don Pershall told San Benito Live.
The effort comes just more than two weeks after a DUI checkpoint Aug. 17 on Airline Highway. Police had not released statistics yet from that checkpoint, but crime blotter records showed two DUI arrests on Airline Highway that day.
According to police, checkpoints are a proven resource for reducing the number of people killed or injured in alcohol or drug-related crashes, with studies showing they can reduce those crashes by up to 20 percent when well-publicized DUI checkpoints and proactive DUI patrols are conducted.
Officers will be looking for signs of alcohol and/or drug impairment with officers checking drivers for proper licensing delaying motorists only momentarily. When possible, specially trained officers will be available to evaluate those suspected of drug-impaired driving, which now accounts for a growing number of impaired driving crashes. Drugs which may impair driving not only include illegal narcotics, but many prescription drugs, marijuana, and even some over-the-counter medications.
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, other expenses that can exceed $10,000 not to mention the embarrassment when friends and family find out.
Funding for this checkpoint is provided to Hollister Police Department by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, reminding everyone to ‘Report Drunk Driver – Call 9-1-1.
