SUNNYVALE, Calif. – What happens when police set up a highly-publicized DUI checkpoint, complete with warning signs and lots of bright lights?

In the case of Sunnyvale’s August 27 checkpoint, you get seven DUI arrests, another arrest for possession of an illegal weapon and yet another arrest of a subject wanted on warrants.

DUI checkpoints are held as educational tools in an attempt to increase the community’s awareness of DUI problems. This most recent checkpoint operated on North Mathilda Avenue for five hours last Saturday (August 27) evening. Officers randomly selected 200 cars for inspection from the more than 1,100 cars that passed through the checkpoint.

Despite the high visibility of the checkpoint, at least one allegedly impaired driver demonstrated classic poor judgment as he told arresting officers that he purposefully drove to the checkpoint because “I didn’t think I was that drunk.”