St. Patrick’s Weekend To See DUI Checkpoint In Lake Elsinore

St. Patrick’s Day partiers are being reminded to stay off the roads this weekend.

On March 16, the Lake Elsinore Police Department Traffic Unit will be conducting a DUI/driver's license checkpoint at an undisclosed location within the city limits.

Officers will be contacting drivers passing through the checkpoint for signs of alcohol and/or drug impairment, according to a report from Sgt. Peter Giannakakos. Officers will also check for proper licensing but will strive to delay motorists only momentarily, he added.

“Drivers caught driving impaired can expect jail, license suspension, and insurance increases, as well as fines, fees, DUI classes, other expenses that can exceed $10,000,” the sergeant reported.

In the past 12 months the Lake Elsinore Police Department investigated 30 DUI collisions in which 38 persons were injured and two were killed. Additionally during this time, the Lake Elsinore Police Department made 210 DUI arrests, Giannakakos continued.

“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. 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,” the sergeant reported.

Funding for Saturday’s checkpoint is provided to the Lake Elsinore Police Department by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, “targeting those who still don't heed the message to designate a sober driver,” Giannakakos added.