DUI/Driver's License Checkpoint Coming Up In Santa Monica

SANTA MONICA, CA — The Santa Monica Police Department will be conducting a DUI/Driver's License checkpoint from 7 p.m. to 3 a.m. Friday at an undisclosed location within the city limits.

"In recent years, California has seen a disturbing increase in drug-impaired driving crashes. The Santa Monica Police Department supports the effort from the Office of Traffic Safety that aims to educate all drivers that 'DUI Doesn’t Just Mean Booze,'" the SMPD news release said. "If you take prescription drugs, particularly those with a driving or operating machinery warning on the label, you might be impaired enough to get a DUI. Marijuana can also be impairing, especially in combination with alcohol or other drugs, and can result in a DUI."

Drivers caught driving impaired can expect the impact of a DUI arrest to include jail time, fines, fees, DUI classes, license suspensions and other expenses that can exceed $10,000, SMPD said.

Funding for this checkpoint is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. To report a drunk driver, call 911.