The Glendale Police Department traffic officers will check for drivers under the influence and without licenses this upcoming weekend, according to a news release.
Police announced that from 7 p.m. to 2:30 a.m., at an undisclosed location in Glendale, officers will conduct a DUI/drivers license checkpoint on Friday, Dec. 14.
In 2010, over 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 (BAC) of .08% or higher, officials said.
In California, drunk driving led to 791 deaths because someone failed to designate a sober driver, authorities said.
“Over the course of the past three years, DUI collisions have claimed one life and injured 81 of our friends and neighbors in Glendale,” said Glendale Police Sgt. Richard Phillips.
“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, Glendale needs the high visibility enforcement and public awareness that checkpoints provide.”
Officers will contact drivers passing through the checkpoint for signs of alcohol and drug impairment. Officers will also check drivers for proper licensing and aim to delay motorists for a short period of time.
Those caught driving impaired could face jail, license suspension, and insurance increases, as well as fines, fees, DUI classes, other expenses that can exceed more than $10,000.
Funding for this checkpoint is provided to Glendale Police Department by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Officials urge anyone who sees a drunk driver to call 911.
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