DUI, Driver's License Checkpoint Planned For Westside

VENICE, CA — A DUI, driver's license checkpoint is scheduled for Friday night on the Westside, near the border of Venice and Marina del Rey, police said.

The checkpoint is planned from 6 to 11 p.m. Friday at Washington Boulevard and Yale Avenue in Los Angeles, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

Police were warning people to stay safe in the final days of summer, as LAPD plans to add additional officers on patrol from August 20 through Labor Day to look for drivers suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

"No matter how you choose to celebrate the end of summer and Labor Day weekend, make sure you do so responsibly," police said. "Take the necessary precautions to protect yourself and your family by buckling up, ditching the distractions, following the speed limit, and never driving impaired."

The increased efforts to address impaired driving are part of a national enforcement campaign, Driver Sober or Get Pulled Over, police said.

“Driving impaired is risky and puts yourself and others around you in serious danger,” LAPD Officer Inman of the Traffic Group said in a statement. “If you are taking a road trip over the next few weeks, make good choices and drive like your closest friends and family are in the cars around you.”

In 2019, 45 people died in crashes throughout California over the Labor Day holiday period, and the California Highway Patrol made more than 1,000 arrests for driving under the influence during the 78-hour Labor Day weekend enforcement period alone.

Driving impaired includes driving under the influence of alcohol, prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications and marijuana.

"If you plan on drinking or taking medications with a driving warning label, let someone who is sober drive," police said." If you see someone driving impaired, call 9-1-1."

Funding for this program is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

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