Police To Hold DUI/Driver's License Checkpoint In Petaluma

PETALUMA, CA — A DUI/driver's license checkpoint is planned Friday night in the city of Petaluma, the police department announced Monday.

The checkpoint is from 6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 15, until 2 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 16, at an undisclosed location within the city limits, Petaluma police Sgt. Walt Spiller said.

Officers with Petaluma Police Department's Traffic Unit will look for signs of alcohol and/or drug impairment and check drivers for proper licensing, delaying motorists only momentarily, Spiller said. When possible, specially trained officers will be available to evaluate those suspected of drug-impaired driving, which now accounts for a growing number of impaired driving crashes.

"The deterrent effect of DUI checkpoints is a proven resource in reducing the number of persons killed and injured in alcohol or drug-involved crashes," Spiller said. "Research shows that crashes involving an impaired driver can be reduced by up to 20 percent when well-publicized DUI checkpoints and proactive DUI patrols are conducted routinely."

In California, this deadly crime led to 1,370 deaths in 2021 because someone failed to designate a sober driver. Nationally, the data shows 13,384 people were killed by an impaired driver. Statistics show that nationally, 37 people are killed in a DUI collision daily. That is one person every 39 minutes.

"The Petaluma Police Department is committed to increasing overall traffic safety and reducing the number of alcohol-related collisions," Spiller said. "We will continue our efforts to locate and identify impaired drivers."

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