2 Separate DUI Checkpoints Scheduled This Weekend In Pass Area

PASS AREA, CA — Two separate DUI checkpoints are scheduled this weekend in the San Gorgonio Pass Area: one in the city of Banning and the other in an unincorporated area.

The Banning Police Department was the first to announce it would hold a DUI checkpoint from 6 p.m. Dec. 27 to 1 a.m. Dec. 28 at an undisclosed location within the city.

Then, the California Highway Patrol's San Gorgornio Pass Area office announced a checkpoint scheduled from 8 p.m. Dec. 27 to 2 a.m. Dec. 28 in an unincorporated area within the agency's jurisdiction. The CHP did not disclose an exact location.

During the separate checkpoints, officers will check drivers for signs of impairment from alcohol, drugs, prescription medications, and over-the-counter products.

Drivers charged with a first-time DUI face an average of $13,500 in fines and penalties, as well as a suspended license.

"Impaired drivers put others on the road at significant risk," Acting Banning Police Captain Brandon Smith said. "Any prevention measures that reduce the number of impaired drivers on our roads significantly improve traffic safety."