DUI Checkpoint Announced For Santa Monica Friday

SANTA MONICA, CA -- The Santa Monica Police Department will be looking out for intoxicated drivers this Friday with a drunken driving and driver's license checkpoint.

The checkpoint is scheduled between the hours of 7 p.m. and 3 a.m. Friday night and Saturday morning at an undisclosed location, police said.

DUI checkpoints have proven to reduce the number of drug and alcohol-related crashes and deaths, SMPD Sgt. Saul Rodriguez said.

"Research shows that accidents involving impaired drivers can be reduced by up to 20 percent when well-publicized enforcement checkpoints and proactive DUI patrols are conducted routinely," he said.

In 2013, drunken driving caused the deaths of 867 people and more than 23,000 serious injuries in California alone, Rodriguez said. Nationally, the latest data shows nearly 10,100 people were killed by impaired drivers.

Funding for this checkpoint was provided to the Santa Monica Police Department by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Photo via Shutterstock