CHP To Hold DUI Checkpoint St. Patrick's Day In Sonoma County

SONOMA COUNTY, CA — The California Highway Patrol Santa Rosa Area announced it will conduct a sobriety/driver's license checkpoint Friday in Sonoma County.

The checkpoint will be conducted from 6 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. March 17 on Stony Point Road, just south of Rohnert Park Expressway, CHP Officer David deRutte said in a news release.

The checkpoint will be clearly marked and is being placed in an area with an established DUI problem or concern, according to deRutte. A key objective of the checkpoint, the CHP said, is to reduce the number of drinking drivers on the road, rather than to produce a dramatic increase in arrests.

"The goal of this event is to ensure the safety of each and every motorist by targeting roads where there is a high frequency of drunk driving," said Capt. Randy England, the CHP commander for the Santa Rosa Area CHP. "A sobriety checkpoint is an effective tool for achieving this goal and is designed to augment existing patrol operations. By publicizing our efforts, we believe that we can deter motorists from drinking and driving."

Traffic volume permitting, all vehicles will be checked and drivers who are under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs can expect to be arrested, the CHP said.

"We want to send a clear message to those considering mixing alcohol or drugs with driving — the California Highway Patrol will be keeping a watchful eye out for you," England said. "In a perfect world, people would heed this message and make alternate transportation arrangements if they plan to imbibe. There are so many options to do so, but our experience tells us we will still be making arrests."

Friday's checkpoint was made possible by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety.