The Milpitas Police Department Traffic Unit will be conducting a Driving Under the Influence (DUI)/Driver’s License Checkpoint on Saturday, March 16, 2019, at Great Mall Parkway and Highway 880 between the hours of 8:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m.
DUI Checkpoints like this one are placed in locations based on collision statistics and frequency of DUI arrests. Officers will be looking for signs of alcohol and/or drug impairment, with officers checking drivers for proper licensing.
Don’t forget, “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.
In 2017, 1,120 people were killed in alcohol-involved crashes on California roads. In 2018, the Milpitas Police Department investigated 32 DUI/Drug collisions which resulted in 21 injuries.
To ensure you have a safe night of fun that doesn’t involve a DUI:
• Always use a designated sober driver – a friend who is not drinking, ride-share, cab or public transportation – to get home.
• If you see someone who is clearly impaired try to drive, Take the keys and help them make other arrangements to find a safe way home.
• Report drunk drivers – Call 911.
• Hosting a party? Offer non-alcoholic drinks. Monitor those who are drinking and ensure they have a safe way home.
Using a paid service to get home is cheap, but getting a DUI is not! Drivers convicted of DUI can expect the pay upwards of $13,500 in fines, fees, DUI classes, license suspension(s) and other expenses; not to mention possible jail time.
Funding for this checkpoint is provided to Milpitas Police Department by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Press Release By: Sgt. Joseph A. Heylen #253
Date/Time: February 14, 2019, 8:00 A.M.
