The Gilroy Police Department will be looking for drug or alcohol impaired drivers at an overnight checkpoint on Aug. 22, according to a GPD press release.
The checkpoint is scheduled to take place at an undisclosed location within city limits between 9 p.m. Aug. 22 and 3 a.m. Aug. 23. Police officers will also be verifying drivers possess a valid license at the checkpoint, the release states.
Drivers caught driving impaired can expect jail, license suspension, and insurance increases, as well as fines, fees, DUI classes and other expenses that can exceed $10,000.
“The deterrent effect of DUI checkpoints is a proven resource in reducing the number of persons killed and injured in alcohol or drug involved crashes,” the GPD release reads. “Research shows that crashes involving alcohol drop by an average of 20 percent when well-publicized checkpoints are conducted often enough.”
Data from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration suggests that collisions involving impaired drivers account for one-third of traffic fatalities across the state.
