FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PRESS RELEASE #121505

Subject :

SOBRIETY/ DRIVER’S LICENSE CHECKPOINT
Contact : DAVE FREEDLAND, COMMANDER (949) 724-7156
dfreedland@ci.irvine.ca.us
MIKE HAMEL (949) 724-7163
mhamel@ci.irvine.ca.us


IRVINE, CA -- The Irvine Police Department will be conducting a sobriety/driver’s license checkpoint during the evening hours of Saturday December 17, 2005. The exact location and hours will be announced shortly before checkpoint operations begin.

The purpose of the checkpoint is to deter the impaired driver by publicity surrounding the event and by the highly visible presence of sworn officers at the location of the checkpoint. Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) estimates that communities that consistently use sobriety checkpoints experience as much as 8 times the reduction in DUI occurrences as compared to communities that use roving patrols alone. Checkpoints have been highly effective in educating the public to the hazards of impaired driving. According to MADD, in one survey, 79% of the public approved of sobriety checkpoints.

The checkpoint will be clearly marked, and vehicles will be selected to be checked on a pre-set basis to ensure objectivity. Motorists will be greeted and given an informational brochure on impaired driving. Driver’s licenses will be checked, and trained officers will direct impaired drivers to a secondary check area for further evaluation. Most motorists will experience little delay, if any at all.

The Office of Traffic Safety (OTS), State of California, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have expressed their support for this project.