Home Pittsburg Dec 8: Pittsburg Police to Hold DUI/Drivers License Checkpoint Planned

Dec 8: Pittsburg Police to Hold DUI/Drivers License Checkpoint Planned

by ECT
Pittsburg Police

Pittsburg CA – Pittsburg Police Department Traffic Unit will be conducting a DUI/Drivers License Checkpoint on December 8, 2017 on northbound Railroad Avenue south of East Leland Road between the hours of 7:00 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.

In recent years, California has seen a disturbing increase in drug-impaired driving crashes. The Pittsburg Police Department supports the new effort from the Office of Traffic Safety that aims to educate all 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. Marijuana can also be impairing, especially in combination with alcohol or other drugs, and can result in a DUI.

The deterrent effect of High Visibility Enforcement using both DUI checkpoints and DUI Saturation Patrols has proven to lower the number of persons killed and injured in alcohol or drug impaired crashes. Research shows that crashes involving an impaired driver can be reduced by up to 20 percent when well-publicized proactive DUI operations are conducted routinely.

DUI Checkpoints like this one are placed in locations based on collision statistics and frequency of DUI arrests, affording the greatest opportunity for achieving drunk and drugged driving deterrence. Locations are chosen with safety considerations for the officers and the public.

In California, alcohol involved collisions led to 1,155 deaths and nearly 24,000 serious injuries in 2014 because someone failed to designate a sober driver. Over the course of the past three years (1/1/14-12/31/16) Pittsburg PD officers have investigated 149 DUI collisions which have claimed 4 lives and resulted in another 54 injuries.

Officers will be looking for signs of alcohol and/or drug impairment, with officers checking drivers for proper licensing, delaying motorists only momentarily. When possible, specially trained officers will be available to evaluate those suspected of drug-impaired driving, which now accounts for a growing number of impaired driving crashes.

Studies of California drivers have shown that 30 percent of drivers in fatal crashes had one or more drugs in their systems. A study of active drivers showed more tested positive for drugs that may impair driving (14 percent) than did for alcohol (7.3 percent). Of the drugs, marijuana was most prevalent, at 7.4 percent, slightly more than alcohol. Everyone should be mindful that if you‟re taking medication – whether prescription or over-the-counter – drinking even small amounts of alcohol can greatly intensify the impairment affects.

Drivers are encouraged to download the Designated Driver VIP, or “DDVIP,” free mobile app for Android or iPhone. The DDVIP app helps find nearby bars and restaurants that feature free incentives for the designated sober driver, from free non-alcoholic drinks to free appetizers and more. The feature packed app even has social media tie-ins and even a tab for the non-DD to call Uber, Lyft or Curb.

Drivers caught driving impaired can expect the impact of a DUI arrest to include jail time, fines, fees, DUI classes, license suspensions and other expenses that can exceed $10,000 not to mention the embarrassment when friends and family find out.

Funding for this checkpoint is provided to The Pittsburg Police Department by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, reminding everyone to „Report Drunk Driver – Call 9-1-1‟.

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15 comments

Taryn J. White Dec 5, 2017 - 5:19 am

Hopefully more drivers will use this as a reminder not to risk a DUI charge. Especially with the consequences being more costly than ever.

Nick Dec 5, 2017 - 8:31 am

Alcoholics don’t care. And a lot of DUI offenders are chronic drunks.

Dave Dec 5, 2017 - 8:43 am

True, about 70 percent of DUI offenders will never have a second one, but that leaves 30 percent who will. First time is a wake-up call, second time is a wake-up slap in the face. Beyond that, they need treatment. If they still offend, they need substantial jail time and a long, tight probation.

Melanie Dec 5, 2017 - 8:58 am

They should ALL be jailed. They could kill someone – including you, your family and friends. Wow.

Dawn Dec 5, 2017 - 10:12 am

The PD should NOT announce when and where these checkpoints will be located. The drunks and stoners will just avoid that areas. Announcing this in advance simply defeats the purpose.

. Dec 5, 2017 - 11:19 am

Why would you give the date and time?

Classic Dec 5, 2017 - 12:58 pm

Why dont the police give the crooks their daily schedule and crime target agenda everyday? Lol, makes zero sense!

Dave Dec 5, 2017 - 2:43 pm

In today’s best practices, prior publicity is used because the primary purpose of a sobriety checkpoint is deterrence, not arrests. The deterrent factor has been shown to have the ability to lower DUI related fatalities by up to 20 percent. People go through them, drive past them, hear about them via multiple grapevines and get the ongoing impression that drunk driving is dangerous, socially unacceptable, and that law enforcement is actively looking for it. Street patrols are good at arrests but lousy as deterrents. Checkpoints are lousy at arrests but good as deterrents. One arrests law breakers, the other save lives.

Melanie Dec 5, 2017 - 3:50 pm

Dave, Dawn, etc. Law enforcement HAS to provide advance notice (by law). They don’t have to give the exact location.

Dave Dec 5, 2017 - 3:55 pm

Melanie, to keep things factually up to date, in the Ingersoll v Palmer decision, one of the points the US Supreme Court made was that prior notice was one component that could help make a checkpoint legal. The case of Banks v California held that every one of the eight points the Ingersoll decision laid out did not have to be there to make it legal, just a majority. Pre publicity was spelled out to be useful, but not strictly required.

Cool Dec 5, 2017 - 7:20 pm

Can you post where they will be doing traffic enforcement daily? That way i know what parts of town i can speed in and run stoplights with out getting a ticket, Thanks!

Captain Dec 5, 2017 - 11:08 pm

Melanie is left speachless lol

Melanie Dec 6, 2017 - 10:39 am

Public notice is the law. They don’t have to give the exact location. I’m sticking to what I believe. Nothing will lower DUI’s if the drunk driver is a chronic alcoholic. He’s an addict, and addicts don’t control their addiction – addiction controls them. Wise up.

Dave Dec 7, 2017 - 9:16 am

Melanie, why would you “believe” something that is easily disproven? Just Google or Wikipedia “Banks vs. California Sobriety Checkpoints” and the actual, legal, historical facts are there to read. It’s no big deal, nor any big conspiracy, just facts. In fact, I will save you the time. Here is the exact quotation from that decision by the California Supreme Court.

“[5d] In light of the United States Supreme Court’s decision in Michigan State Police Dept. v. Sitz, supra, 496 U.S. 444, and consistent with the weight [6 Cal.4th 949] of authority examined above, we conclude that the operation of a sobriety checkpoint conducted in the absence of advance publicity, but otherwise in conformance with the guidelines we established in Ingersoll v. Palmer, supra, 43 Cal.3d 1321, does not result in an unreasonable seizure within the meaning of the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution.”

Melanie Dec 7, 2017 - 10:08 pm

Dave, here’s why: (I googled):

Los Angeles DUI Attorney (310) 971- **** (No advertising allowed – I’m assuming)

“What Rules do DUI checkpoints have to follow?”

“The most important rules of a DUI checkpoint.”

1. “It must be advertised in advance. DUI checkpoints cannot be put up without warning. They must be advertised in advance and are typically noted on local news.”

Law Offices of Randy C****** (888) 250-**** (no advertising allowed)

“An announcement of when the DUI checkpoint will take place will need to be made by law enforcement to the general public. This announcement will be posted on the state police departments website, as well as submitted to relevant media outlets like newspaper or radio stations.”

There were several more choices – two law firms is enough. These were the first two I saw. Believe what you want, and so will I.

THAT’S WHY!

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