DUI Checkpoint Scheduled for Friday

The will conduct a DUI and drivers license checkpoint starting at 7 p.m. Friday night as part of a crackdown on driving under the influence.

Police did not reveal where in the city the checkpoint would be.

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The best way to avoid getting cited for driving under the influence is to use a designated driver.

For those who choose to drive alone to a party but discover they've had too much to drink, the Auto Club of Southern California is once again offering its Tipsy Tow service.

The service offers a free ride home for drivers while their cars are towed along.

Drinking drivers can call 1-800-400-4AAA starting at 6 p.m. Friday and ending at 6 a.m. Sunday for the tow, and a regular Auto Club-contracted roadside service truck will be dispatched.

"Drivers should be aware of the high crash risk from drinking and driving associated with holidays and we encourage them not to get behind the wheel if they’ve been drinking," said the Auto Club’s senior researcher Steve Bloch in a statement.

In addition to recommending the Tipsy Tow service and other community sober ride programs, the RBPD also provided the following tips:

• Plan a safe way home before the festivities begin.
• Before drinking, designate a sober driver and leave your car keys at home.
• If you've had too much to drink, use a taxi, call a sober friend or family member, or use public transportation.
• Don't ride in a vehicle driven by someone under the influence of alcohol.
• If you see a drunk driver on the road, call 911 to report him or her.
• If you think someone's had too much to drink, help him or her make arrangements to get home safely.

Hermosa Beach Patch Editor Jacqueline Howard contributed to this report.