Modesto police, Stanislaus deputies on DUI patrols this weekend

Both the Modesto Police Department and Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department will have special saturation patrols out this weekend looking for drivers impaired by alcohol or drugs.

The police patrol will be in effect between 7:30 p.m. Friday and 3:30 a.m. Saturday. The Sheriff’s Department has not specified the hours of its patrol.

The MPD also will set up a DUI and driver’s license checkpoint at an undisclosed location within the city limits between 8:30 p.m. Saturday and 3:30 a.m. Sunday.

Over the past three years, DUI collisions have taken seven lives and resulted in 184 crashes that injured 269 people in Modesto, according to police.

A DUI checkpoint is a proven effective method to lower crashes. Additionally, drivers will be checked to ensure that they have a valid driver’s license. When possible, specially trained officers will be available to evaluate those suspected of drug-impaired driving.

Recent statistics reveal that 30 percent of drivers in fatal crashes had one or more drugs in their systems, said a news release from the Sheriff’s Department. A study of active drivers showed more tested positive for drugs that may impair driving (14 percent) than did for alcohol (7.3 percent). Of the drugs, marijuana was most prevalent, at 7.4 percent, slightly more than alcohol.

This story was originally published April 15, 2016 at 8:26 AM with the headline "Modesto police, Stanislaus deputies on DUI patrols this weekend."