Sarah Longwell: Roving patrols more effective than DUI checkpoints
Re “DUI enforcement nets dozens of arrests” (Page B2, Dec. 16): Sobriety checkpoints – like the ones planned across Stanislaus County this holiday season – often make few, if any, drunken driving arrests, despite stopping hundreds of vehicles.
Local law enforcement would be better off using roving or saturation patrols to crack down on drunken driving during the holidays.
A comparative analysis by the FBI shows that saturation patrols net more DUI arrests than sobriety checkpoints.
And unlike checkpoints, roving patrols can catch other types of dangerous driving behaviors, like speeding or distracted or drowsy driving.
They are also more cost effective: Conducting a single checkpoint can cost between $8,000 and $10,000, compared to just $300 for a roving patrol.
Highway safety is a gift we could all enjoy this holiday, and roving patrols are the best way to keep our roads clear of dangerous drivers.
Sarah Longwell, American Beverage Institute,
managing director, Washington, D.C.
This story was originally published December 30, 2014 at 12:15 PM with the headline "Sarah Longwell: Roving patrols more effective than DUI checkpoints."