Hemet Police Department Targets Impaired Drivers with Checkpoint
HEMET, CA –The Hemet Police Department Traffic Unit will be conducting a DUI/Drivers License checkpoint on June 9, 2012 at an undisclosed location within the city limits, between the hours of 7:00 p.m. and 3:00 a.m. Checkpoints are placed in locations that have the greatest opportunity for achieving drunk and drugged driving deterrence and provide the greatest safety for officers and the public.
Officers will be contacting drivers passing through the checkpoint and looking for signs of alcohol and/or drug impairment. They will also be checking to ensure drivers are properly licensed. DUI Checkpoints along with regularly scheduled high visibility DUI enforcement serves as a proven deterrent with the goal of removing impaired drivers and heightened awareness of the dangers of driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol.
In 2010, over 10,000 people were killed nationally in motor vehicle traffic crashes that involved at least one driver or motorcycle rider with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 percent or higher. In Californian, this deadly crime led to 791 deaths because someone failed to designate a sober driver. The age group with the highest percentage of alcohol-impaired-driving fatalities in motor vehicle traffic crashes was the 21-to-24 age group.
Over the past three years, Hemet PD has investigated 4 fatal and 215 injury DUI collisions; countywide – there were 11, 417 individuals injured in drunk driving wrecks. Out of 103 cities, with a population between 50,001-100,000, The Office of Traffic Safety has ranked Hemet as the 13th highest in injury related collisions and 4th highest involving DUI drivers under 21 years of age and ranked 1st for DUI drivers between the ages of 21-34.
The objective is to send a clear message to those who are considering driving a motor vehicle after consuming alcohol and/or drugs: if you drive buzzed, drunk, or impaired by drugs you will go to jail. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), checkpoints have provided the most effective documented results of any of the DUI enforcement strategies, while also yielding considerable cost savings of $6 for every $1 spent.
Those arrested for DUI will face jail time, loss of their driver licenses, or being sentenced to use ignition interlocks. Their insurance rates go up. Other financial hits include attorney fees, court costs, lost time at work, and the potential loss of job or job prospects. When family, friends and co-workers find out, violators can also face tremendous personal embarrassment and humiliation.
The checkpoint was funded by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Please help Hemet PD everyday of the week: Report Drunk Drivers – Call 911!
MEDIA NOTES: To schedule an interview regarding the City of Hemet’s traffic safety operations, please contact Corporal F. Pitetti at 951-765-2400, ext 3725 or via email at fpitetti@cityofhemet.org. To schedule an interview regarding impaired driving efforts and programs in California please contact Chris Cochran, California Office of Traffic Safety at (916) 509-3063 or via email at ccochran@ots.ca.gov.