SJ Substance Abusers Beware: DUI Checkpoint To Be Set Up Thursday

SAN JOSE, CA -- Thursday night is not the time to be drinking and driving in San Jose. The police department will be conducting a DUI/Driver's License Checkpoint then at an undisclosed location within the city limits between the hours of 8 p.m. to 2 a.m.

DUI Checkpoints like this one are placed in locations based on collision statistics and frequency of DUI arrests. Officers will be looking for signs of alcohol and drug impairment, with officers checking drivers for proper licensing.

San Jose officers remind motorists that "DUI doesn't just mean booze." If a person takes prescription drugs, particularly those with a driving or operating machinery warning on the label, the impairment might be great enough to get a DUI. Marijuana can also affect one's judgment, especially in combination with alcohol or other drugs - resulting in a driving under the influence violation.

San Jose Police Department offers the following reminders to ensure a safe night of fun that doesn't involve a DUI:

• Always use a designated sober driver (a friend who is not drinking) or book a ride-share vehicle, take a taxi cab or hop on public transportation.
• See someone who is clearly impaired try and drive? Take the keys and help them make other arrangements to find a sober way home.
• Report drunk drivers – call 911.
• Hosting a party? Offer nonalcoholic drinks. Monitor who are drinking and how they are getting home.

Getting home safely is cheap, but getting a DUI is not. It can change one's life - and someone else's.

Drivers caught driving impaired and charged with DUI can expect the impact of the arrest and conviction to amount to $13,500, including fines, fees, DUI classes, license suspension and other expenses. It may also lead to possible jail time.

Funding for this checkpoint effort is provided to San Jose Police Department by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

--Image via Shutterstock