Pittsburg DUI Checkpoint Nets 4 Arrests, 6 Vehicles Impounded

The Pittsburg Police Department Traffic Unit conducted a DUI/Drivers License checkpoint on December 8, 2017, on Railroad Avenue south of East Leland between the hours of 7:00 p.m. and 1:00 a.m.

The following is list of the activities that occurred during the DUI Checkpoint:

• 474      Vehicles Screened
• 2 *       DUI-Alcohol suspects arrested
• 0          DUI-Drug impaired suspects arrested
• 1          Suspects arrested for illegal drugs (possession/transportation/sales)
• 1          Arrested on other Criminal Charges
• 2          Arrested for Outstanding Warrants
• 8          Drivers cited/arrested for operating a vehicle unlicensed
• 6          Drivers cited for operating a vehicle while suspended/revoked
• 6          Vehicles Impounded

*          Includes an arrest of an intoxicated subject who drove at a high rate of speed through the checkpoint and struck a vehicle and attempted to flee on foot.  The suspect was apprehended and also charged with CVC 20001.

Checkpoints are placed in locations that have the greatest opportunity for achieving drunk and drugged driving deterrence and provide the greatest safety for officers and the public.

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.

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.

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 suspension and other expenses that can exceed $10,000 not to mention the embarrassment when friends and family find out.

The Pittsburg Police Department will be conducting future DUI/Drivers License Checkpoint DUI Saturation Patrol in the near future and throughout the year in our ongoing commitment to lowering deaths and injuries upon our streets and highways.

The checkpoint was funded 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’.