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Long Beach Police Conducting DUI/Driver’s License Checkpoint This Weekend

LBLN

The Long Beach Police Department’s (LBPD) Traffic Section will be conducting a DUI/Driver’s License Checkpoint on Saturday, February 1st, 2020, between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 2:00 a.m. in the East Division area.

DUI Checkpoints like this one are placed in locations based on collision statistics and frequency of DUI arrests. Officers will be looking for signs of alcohol and/or drug impairment, with officers checking drivers for proper licensing.

Long Beach Police Department reminds drivers that “DUI Doesn’t Just Mean Booze.” 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.

In 2017, 1,120 people were killed in alcohol-involved crashes on California roads. Last year, the LBPD investigated 318 DUI collisions, which have claimed eight lives and resulted in another 132 injuries.

The LBPD offers these reminders to ensure you have a safe night of fun that doesn’t involve a DUI:

  • Always use a designated sober driver – a friend who is not drinking, ride-share, cab or public transportation – to get home.
  • See someone who is clearly impaired try and drive? Take the keys and help them make other arrangements to find a sober way home.
  • Report drunk drivers – Call 911.
  • Hosting a party? Offer nonalcoholic drinks. Monitor who are drinking and how they are getting home.

With the Super Bowl taking place this weekend, we encourage members and visitors of our community to celebrate responsibly by designating a sober driver ahead of time, not driving impaired, and not letting other football fans get behind the wheel after drinking.

Getting home safely is cheap, but getting a DUI is not! Drivers caught driving impaired and charged with DUI can expect the impact of a DUI arrest to be upwards of $13,500. This includes fines, fees, DUI classes, license suspension and other expenses not to mention possible jail time.

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