Irvine, Calif. (Dec. 15, 2017) – The Irvine Police Department will conduct a sobriety checkpoint Saturday, Dec. 16, in conjunction with the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” effort. The checkpoint will be held from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. at Jamboree Road and Michelson Drive.
The checkpoint will be clearly marked and vehicles will be selected for further screening on a pre-set basis to ensure objectivity. Motorists will be greeted and given information about impaired driving. Trained officers will direct suspected impaired drivers to a secondary area for further evaluation. Most motorists will experience little or no delay.
From Dec. 15 through Jan. 1, law enforcement agencies will focus on impaired driving and spread the word about the dangers of driving drunk as part of this special enforcement and education campaign.
Driving under the influence of alcohol can have deadly consequences. In 2016, 10,497 people across the nation died in traffic collisions in which a driver had a blood alcohol concentration of .08 or above, NHTSA reports.
“Two simple words can keep your holiday festivities safe – plan ahead,” said OTS Director Rhonda Craft. “Before you head out to any celebration, plan how you are getting home safely. If you are drinking, that means knowing what sober driver or service you will be using.”
The Irvine PD checkpoint is being carried out with the use of grant funding awarded by OTS.
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