Police to conduct DUI checkpoint Aug. 16

Morgan Hill police and area law enforcement will conduct a DUI and drivers license checkpoint at an undisclosed location in town next Friday, Aug. 16, according to police.
The checkpoint will follow a similar checkpoint Aug. 2 that saw heavy traffic but no arrests on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, police said.
The upcoming checkpoint will be in a location “that (has) the greatest opportunity for achieving drunk and drugged driving deterrence and provide the greatest safety for officers and the public,” according to a press release from the Morgan Hill Police Department.
The checkpoint will take place from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m., police said.
Officers will be contacting drivers passing through the checkpoint and looking for signs of alcohol or drug impairment, the press release said. 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,” the press release said.
The DUI checkpoint Aug. 2 on Monterey Road at the intersection of Old Monterey Road saw 467 vehicles pass through, but no arrests of drivers suspected of DUI, according to MHPD Capt. Shane Palsgrove.
But police at the checkpoint issued eight citations for unlicensed drivers, Palsgrove said. They also arrested one motorist on suspicion of driving on a suspended license and impounded that suspect’s vehicle.
Of the vehicles that traveled through the checkpoint, police contacted 243 drivers, police added. Of those, 12 were pulled aside for additional screening at a “secondary” staging area.
In 2011, almost 10,000 people died nationwide in motor vehicle accidents that involved at least one driver or motorcycle rider who were intoxicated, according to the MHPD press release.
“The objective (of the checkpoint) 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,” the MHPD press release said. “According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 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.”