The Gilroy Police Department Traffic Unit will be conducting a DUI/drivers license checkpoint Friday at an undisclosed location within city limits between the hours of 9 p.m. and 3 a.m.
Officers will be contacting drivers passing through the checkpoint for signs of alcohol and/or drug impairment. Officers will also check drivers for proper licensing and will strive to delay motorists only momentarily, according to a GPD press release.
When necessary, specially trained officers will be available to evaluate motorists who are suspected of drug-impaired driving. 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.
Based on collision statistics and frequency of DUI arrests, DUI checkpoints are placed in locations that have the greatest opportunity for achieving drunk and drugged driving deterrence. Locations are chosen with safety considerations for the officers and the public.
“DUI Checkpoints have been an essential part of the phenomenal reduction in DUI deaths that we witnessed since 2006 in California,” said Christopher J. Murphy, Director of the Office of Traffic Safety. “But since the tragedy of DUI accounts for nearly one third of traffic fatalities, Gilroy needs the high visibility enforcement and public awareness that checkpoints provide.”
Funding for this checkpoint is provided to the GPD by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Motorists are encouraged to report drunk drivers by calling 911.
