Fairfield police to operate DUI checkpoint Friday evening
Police departments are required to provide public notice of sobriety and driver's license checkpoints.
(Graphic by Solano NewsNet)
The Fairfield Police Department says it will be carrying out a driver’s license and sobriety checkpoint in the city on Friday evening.
The checkpoint will be established somewhere in the area of Air Base Parkway and Dover Avenue, the agency said in a statement. In addition to drivers who may be under the influence of alcohol, police will be checking for motorists who are driving while high on marijuana or who are inebriated through the consumption of other drugs.
“In recent years, California has seen a disturbing increase in drug-impaired driving crashes,” the police department said in a statement. “Fairfield supports the efforts from the Office of Traffic Safety that aims to educate all drivers that ‘DUI Doesn’t Just Mean Booze.’”
The police department said alcohol-related crashes killed 1,066 people in 2019. Locally, police in Fairfield have responded to more than 180 collisions over an 18-month span, including crashes that proved fatal to two people and others that injured a total of 67 people within that time frame.
Local law enforcement agencies are sometimes criticized on social media for providing advance notice of DUI checkpoints, but police say that type of notification has proven effective in deterring would-be DUI drivers.
Those agencies cite statistics gathered by state and federal offices that purport to show a decline in arrests and crashes when sobriety checkpoints are conducted, with advance notification given to the public before they are carried out.
In at least one DUI case, the California Court of Appeals reversed a woman’s DUI conviction after finding the arresting police department did not provide advance notice of a sobriety checkpoint. Appellate judges found that the lack of notice violated the woman’s constitutional rights.
Drivers who are arrested and convicted of a DUI offense can pay fines in the thousands of dollars, have their driving privileges revoked, and spend time in county jail.
Police say motorists who spot a driver who may be under the influence of a substance should call 9-1-1.
Connect with Solano NewsNet on Twitter and Facebook for breaking news updates.
We’re proud to produce independent news for Solano County. This newsletter is an all-volunteer effort. If you would like to show your appreciation, consider making a donation in any amount or signing up for a paid subscription.