Weekend DUI Checkpoint Scheduled In Lake Elsinore

LAKE ELSINORE, CA — The Lake Elsinore Sheriff's Station announced it will hold a DUI/driver's license checkpoint Friday beginning at 8 p.m.

The checkpoint will operate inside city limits until 2 a.m. Saturday, according to the department. Further information about the location was not disclosed, though the agency reported that "checkpoint locations are chosen based on a history of DUI crashes and arrests."

During the checkpoint, deputies will look for signs that drivers are under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.

Additionally, some prescription and over-the-counter medications can interfere with driving. Drivers found under the influence of any of these substances will be arrested, the sheriff's department warned.

"The primary purpose of checkpoints is not to make arrests, but to promote public safety by deterring drivers from driving impaired," the department reported.

Drivers convicted of a DUI face an average of $13,500 in fines and penalties, as well as a suspended license, according to the department.

Funding for the checkpoint was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.