Police will be watching for drunken drivers in Sacramento area. Here’s when and where
Police will be on the lookout for drunken drivers in the Sacramento area during the weekend before Christmas.
The Rocklin Police Department will set up a sobriety checkpoint at an undisclosed location within Rocklin city limits in Placer County to monitor the roads for drivers who are under the influence of intoxicants or impaired, the agency said in a news release.
Police said DUI checkpoint locations are based on “data showing incidents of impaired driving-related crashes.”
“Impaired drivers put others on the road at significant risk,” Rocklin police Lt. Chris Osborn said in the release. “Any prevention measures that reduce the number of impaired drivers on our roads significantly improve traffic safety.”
When is DUI checkpoint in Placer County?
The Rocklin Police Department will conduct its impaired-driving checkpoint from 6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 20, to 2 a.m Saturday, Dec. 21, the release said.
What is considered impaired driving?
In addition to drunken driving, impaired driving includes the use of medications such as prescription and over-the-counter drugs.
Driving under the influence of cannabis is also illegal, police said.
The DUI checkpoint program is funded by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
“The primary purpose of DUI checkpoints are to promote public safety by taking suspected impaired drivers off the road,” police said.
Do I have to comply with police at DUI checkpoints?
California Vehicle Code 2814.2 states all drivers must stop and submit to a sobriety checkpoint inspection when law enforcement requires it.
Drivers, however, are not legally obligated to submit to field sobriety tests, pre-arrest breath tests or cheek swabs at a DUI checkpoint, according to the Shouse California Law Group.
Do I have to go through DUI checkpoints?
Technically, no.
If a driver hasn’t been stopped by law enforcement yet or even approached the checkpoint, they could legally turn around or find another route—as long as it is safe to do so, according to the Shouse California Law Group.
What is the DUI penalty?
The California Department of Motor Vehicles reserves the right to revoke or suspend your driver’s license.
First-time DUI offenders face an average of $13,500 in fines and penalties.
Additionally, under a statewide program that started in 2019, individuals have to complete a DUI program and may have a court-ordered ignition interlock device installed for up to six months upon conviction, the DMV website said.