Getting behind the wheel after consuming alcohol isn’t the only way you can be charged with DUI. Any narcotic drug or even prescription drug can cause a motorist to be impaired and potentially cause an accident. While marijuana may be legal for recreational use in California, driving while under its influence is considered illegal.
The Antelope Valley Press reported yesterday that the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has announced that it will be conducting a DUI checkpoint on Friday, April 1.
According to the statement issued by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the checkpoint will be conducted from 6:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. at an undisclosed location.
Law enforcement officials choose DUI and license checkpoints based on which locations have shown the highest crashes incidents involving impaired driving, speeding, and other data. Authorities say that the checkpoints are conducted to ensure public safety and to get impaired or unlicensed drivers off the road.
Sgt . Robert Hill told reporters, “Impaired drivers put others on the road at significant risk,” he said. “Any preventative measures that reduce the number of impaired drivers on our roads significantly improves traffic safety.”
On July 18, 2021, the LACSD stopped 984 vehicles and made 15 arrests of motorists who were driving without a license or on a license that was suspended. Two other motorists were arrested for operating a vehicle without an interlock device, and one driver was arrested for refusing to produce a license when deputies asked for it.
Even when someone is a first-time offender of impaired driving, they are potentially facing a fine that is, on average, $13,500 in fines and penalties, as well as having their license suspended.
Funding for Friday’s checkpoint was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.