DUI checkpoint planned in Sacramento region. Here’s when and where
The Sutter County Sheriff’s Office will be on the lookout for drunk drivers in the Sacramento region.
The agency will conduct a DUI checkpoint at an undisclosed location in Live Oak, the agency said Tuesday in a news release.
DUI checkpoint locations are based on data involving impaired driving-related crashes, the Sutter County Sheriff’s Office said.
“The primary purpose of DUI checkpoints are to promote public safety by taking suspected impaired drivers off the road,” the agency said in the release.
Here’s what to know:
When is DUI checkpoint in Sacramento County?
The Sutter County Sheriff’s Office will conduct the DUI checkpoint from 7 p.m. Friday, April 18, to 2 a.m Saturday, April 19, the agency said.
What is considered impaired driving?
“The Sutter County Sheriff’s Office reminds the public that impaired driving is not just from alcohol,” the agency said in the release. “Some prescription medications and over-the-counter drugs may interfere with driving.”
Although medicinal and recreational marijuana are legal in California, the Sheriff’s Office said, driving under the influence of marijuana is illegal.
Law enforcement agencies are legally required to notify the public of DUI checkpoints ahead of time.
Funding for the agency’s DUI checkpoint program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Do I have to comply with police at DUI checkpoints?
California Vehicle Code 2814.2 says all drivers must stop and submit to a sobriety checkpoint inspection when law enforcement requires it.
However, a driver is not legally obligated to submit to a field sobriety test, pre-arrest breath test or cheek swab at a DUI checkpoint, according to the Law Offices of Grech and Parker in Riverside.
Field sobriety tests are subjective and may not accurately measure sobriety, the Southern California law firm said.
“A police officer’s opinion can be influenced, and it’s possible that the tests were not conducted exactly according to protocol,” said Cron, Israels & Stark Attorneys at Law, which has offices in Los Angeles and Santa Monica.
Can I avoid a drunk driving checkpoint?
If a driver has not yet been stopped by law enforcement, there are ways they can avoid the checkpoint.
There is no state or federal law that prohibits someone from turning around or finding another route — as long as it is safe to do so — to avoid a DUI checkpoint, according to Shouse California Law Group.
What are penalties for driving under the influence?
If you are stopped by law enforcement for driving under the influence of intoxicants, the California Department of Motor Vehicles has the authority to revoke or suspend your driver’s license.
“Drivers charged with a first-time DUI face an average of $13,500 in fines and penalties, as well as a suspended license,” the Sutter County Sheriff’s Office said.
