Laguna Beach Police Department will be conducting a DUI/driver’s license checkpoint on Saturday, Aug. 17, between 9 p.m. and 2:30 a.m.
DUI checkpoints are placed in locations based on collision statistics and frequency of DUI arrests, according to authorities. Officers will be looking for signs of alcohol and/or drug impairment and checking drivers for proper licensing.
LBPD officials issued a press release this week reminding drivers that, “DUI doesn’t just mean booze.”
“If you take prescription drugs, particularly those with a driving or operating machinery warning on the label, you might be impaired enough to get a DUI,” LBPD officials said. “Marijuana can also be impairing, especially in combination with alcohol or other drugs, and can result in a DUI.”
In 2017, 1,120 people were killed in alcohol-involved crashes on California roads.
LBPD issued the following reminders this week ahead of the checkpoint:
- Always use a designated sober driver—a friend who is not drinking, ride-share, cab or public transportation—to get home.
- If you see someone who is clearly impaired try to drive, take the keys and help them make other arrangements to find a sober way home.
- Report drunk drivers—call 911.
- Hosting a party? Offer nonalcoholic drinks. Monitor those who are drinking and how they are getting home.
Drivers caught driving impaired and charged with DUI can expect the cost of a DUI arrest to be upwards of $13,500.
Funding for this DUI operation is provided to the Laguna Beach Police Department by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
For more information, contact Lt. Tim Kleiser at 949-464-6655 [email protected].
