Not one, but two DUI checkpoints set in Modesto this weekend. MPD, CHP to conduct
The Modesto Police Department will conduct a DUI checkpoint on Friday, May 22, to reduce impaired driving.
The California Highway Patrol will conduct a DUI and driver’s license checkpoint the following night, Saturday, May 23.
The MPD checkpoint will be held from 6:30 p.m. Friday to 1:30 a.m. Saturday at an undisclosed location, according to a Facebook post by the department.
The CHP operation will be between 8 p.m. Saturday and 2 a.m. Sunday within an undisclosed unincorporated area of Stanislaus County, as previously reported in The Bee. Additional officers will be on Highway 99 on Saturday to look for motorcyclists and drivers making improper turns, unsafe lane changes, tailgating and driving at unsafe speeds.
Checkpoints are part of ongoing efforts to reduce impaired driving and improve road safety, the MPD said. Locations are selected based on data showing where impaired driving-related crashes have occurred.
“Impaired drivers put others on the road at significant risk,” Traffic Safety Officer Cristian Avina said in the MPD post. “Any prevention measures that reduce the number of impaired drivers on our roads significantly improve traffic safety.”
Impairment is not limited to alcohol, the MPD said. Prescription medications, over-the-counter drugs and marijuana also can affect a person’s ability to drive a vehicle safely.
Although marijuana use is legal in California, driving under its influence remains illegal.
Drivers charged with a first-time DUI can face an average of $13,500 in fines and penalties, along with a suspended license, the MPD post said.
The checkpoint programs are funded through a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
