SUNNYVALE – Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety (DPS) officers will conduct a six-hour DUI safety and sobriety checkpoint beginning at 9 p.m., Thursday, July 3. The primary purpose of the checkpoint will be public education.
While the public expects police departments to hold DUI checkpoints during major holidays, DPS Chief Don Johnson offered another view. “It’s a mistake to think impaired driving only occurs during certain holidays,” said Johnson. “Impaired driving is a year-round safety issue for all of us, and Sunnyvale DPS officers are always watching for it. Our DUI checkpoints, in addition to immediately removing impaired drivers from the road, serve to educate the driving public about the problem.”
While this checkpoint falls outside of the typical holiday DUI campaigns, it is expected that there may be a considerable amount of celebrating going on during the Fourth of July weekend, and often that often involves drinking. Sunnyvale DPS wants to reduce the risk to all who are celebrating.
The checkpoint provides an opportunity to locate drivers who are under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and remove them from local roadways. Each year, drivers who are under the influence cause a disproportionately high number of collisions, many of which result in injury or death.
This year, Sunnyvale will again operate its own checkpoint. Cars traveling southbound on Mathilda Avenue at All America Way will be randomly stopped and checked. Officers will look at the safety of the vehicle, the operator’s license and state of sobriety.
Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, through the Office of Traffic Safety.