Behind the Badge
La Habra Police will hold a DUI checkpoint Friday night in an effort to deter drunken driving.
Checkpoints are a resource police use to reduce the number of people killed or hurt in drunken driving crashes, said Traffic Sgt. Jim Tigner.
The location of the checkpoint will not be disclosed, but Tigner said the intersection is chosen based on collision statistics and the frequency of drunken driving arrests.
The operation is planned to run from 9:30 p.m. Friday until 3 a.m. Saturday.
“Over the course of the past three years, DUI collisions in the city have claimed five lives and resulted in 46 injury crashes, harming 73 of our friends and neighbors,” he said.
In 2012, there were 802 deaths and nearly 24,000 serious injuries related to drunken driving in California. Nationwide, nearly 10,000 people were killed in alcohol-induced crashes.
In addition to looking for drivers showing any signs of alcohol use, specially trained officers will also be checking for drug-impaired drivers.
Illegal narcotics, marijuana, many prescription medications and even some over-the-counter products can affect a motorist’s ability to drive safely, Tigner said.
“Drivers caught driving impaired can expect the impact of a DUI arrest to include jail time, fines, fees, DUI classes and other expenses that can exceed $10,000, not to mention the embarrassment when friends and family find out,” Tigner said.
Friday night’s operation is paid for by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
