WEST HOLLYWOOD—The Los Angeles County Sheriff Department’s Traffic Service Detail announced that they will be conducting a DUI/Driver License Checkpoint on Saturday, November 14, in West Hollywood between the hours of 7 p.m. and 4 a.m.
According to a City of West Hollywood press release, publicizing DUI checkpoints in advance is used to increase awareness of the dangers of driving impaired and to encourage designated sober drivers.
Checkpoints have been the most beneficial documented results of any of the DUI enforcement strategies: According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), nearly 90 percent of California drivers approving of DUI checkpoints. Checkpoints also provide considerable cost savings of $6 for every $1 spent.
The specific location of the West Hollywood DUI checkpoint is undisclosed. DUI checkpoints are chosen with safety considerations for officers and the public, while being placed in locations based on collision statistics and frequency of DUI arrests.
The West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station’s Facebook page states that DUI checkpoints are an effectively proven tool in decreasing the number of individuals injured and killed in alcohol or drug related crashes, as research has revealed that “crashes involving an impaired driver can be reduced by up to 20 percent when well-publicized DUI checkpoints and proactive DUI patrols are conducted routinely.”
While officers will be checking drivers for proper licensing, deputies will be on the look out for signs of alcohol and/or drug impairment.
In light of recent statistics revealing that, “30 percent of drivers in fatal crashes had one or more drugs in their systems,” specially trained officers will be available to evaluate anyone suspected of drug-impaired driving.
Drug impaired driving now accounts for a growing number of impaired driving crashes. A study of active drivers shows that more tested positive for drugs that may impair driving (14 percent) than did for alcohol (7.3 percent) with marijuana being the most prevalent at 7.4 percent.
The West Hollywood Station of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has provided the following safety advice:
-Even one drink can impair your judgment and increase the risk of getting arrested for driving drunk – or worse, the risk of having a crash while driving.
-If you will be drinking, do not plan on driving. Plan ahead; designate a sober driver before the party begins.
-If you have been drinking, do not drive. Call a taxi, phone a sober friend or family member, use public -transportation or call one of your local sober ride home programs.
-Be responsible. If someone you know is drinking, do not let that person get behind the wheel.
-If you see an impaired driver on the road, contact law enforcement. Your actions may save someone’s life, and inaction could cost a life.
West Hollywood specifically offers safe alternative transportation methods. On Fridays and Saturdays, from 8 p.m. to 3 a.m., the PickUp is a free ride along Santa Monica Boulevard with stops in each direction between Robertson Boulevard and La Brea Avenue. For a detailed route map and more information about The PickUp, visit www.weho.org/wehopickup.
The City of West Hollywood also has seven franchised taxi companies with more than 500 vehicles that are authorized to pick up passengers. For a complete up-to-date list of taxi companies, visit www.weho.org/taxi.
For more information, please call the City of West Hollywood’s Public Safety Department at (323) 848-6414. For people who are deaf or hearing impaired, please call TTY (323) 848-6496.
