BEVERLY HILLS—Just in time for the holidays, there will be DUI/Sobriety Checkpoints conducted Friday, December 23 by the Beverly Hills Police Department Traffic Bureau. The checkpoints will be held at Southbound S. La Cienega Boulevard south of Gregory Way. The checks will start at 9 p.m. and will conclude on December 24 at 3 a.m.

Los Angeles DUI/Sobriety Checkpoint. Photo courtesy of Thomas Wallin Law Offices.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), these checkpoints have provided effective results as anti-DUI measures. The Beverly Hills Police Department officers have been conducting special enforcement efforts for the last 12 months. Several additional officers have also been patrolling what they believe to be high-risk areas where they believe most fatalities occur.

In a news release, the BHPD expressed support for the Office of Traffic Safety and Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) with their contributions to reduce incidents of alcohol-related fatalities on public roadways. The BHPD conducts regular DUI/Sobriety checkpoints, DUI saturated patrols and places officers in the field to specifically check for DUI enforcements to create safer environments

These special operations are being funded by a grant for traffic safety (which was recently awarded). The grant was issued by the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The purpose of the grant is to help the city in its efforts to lower the rate of fatalities on roadways through enforcement and education. The grant specifically targets motorists and motorcyclists with suspended and revoked licenses, those caught running red lights and others engaging in various violations. Based on research, alcohol-related incidents drop by an average of 20 percent when DUI/Sobriety checkpoints are publicized enough within the community.

Director of the Office of Traffic Safety Christopher J. Murphy says traffic fatalities are at a low.”Thanks to the dedicated hard work of agencies like the Beverly Hills Department, California has the fewest traffic fatalities since 1994,” Murphy noted.”While this is good news, we know that only by keeping the pressure on through enforcement and public awareness can we hope to sustain these declines and save lives,” added Murphy.

-