Crime & Safety
Holiday DUI Checkpoint Friday in Newport Beach
The checkpoint will be set up between 9 p.m. Friday and 2 a.m. at an undisclosed location within the city.
Newport Beach police will set up a checkpoint Friday to look for drunken drivers and invalid licenses.
The checkpoint will be set up from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. at an undisclosed location within Newport Beach, in an effort to keep the roads safe for holiday travelers, police said in a released statement. Newport Beach Police Traffic Lt. Jeff Lu said partygoers have been given a "fair warning."
“In addition to DUI/Driver’s License Checkpoints, you will also see us making lots of stops during this highly visible enforcement period,” Lu said. “If we suspect anyone is driving while under the influence, officers will show zero tolerance for drunk or drugged driving.
According to Newport Beach police data, the holiday season is a particularly deadly time due to the increased number of drunk drivers on the roads. Lu said Newport Beach police are prepared to stop and arrest any drunk driver they see to keep roads safe.
Across the nation from 2007 to 2011, there were 4,169 people killed during the month of December in crashes that involved drivers with blood alcohol concentrations of .08% or higher, authorities reported. In California during those same five Decembers, 505 were killed and thousands seriously injured.
Holiday Safety Tips:
- Even one drink can impair your judgment and increase the risk of getting arrested for driving drunk - or worse, the risk of having a crash while driving.
- If you will be drinking, do not plan on driving. Plan ahead; designate a sober driver before the party begins.
- If you have been drinking, do not drive. Call a taxi, phone a sober friend or family member, or use public transportation.
- Be responsible. If someone you know is drinking, do not let that person get behind the wheel.
- If you see an impaired driver on the road, contact law enforcement. Your actions may save someone’s life, and inaction could cost a life.
- Remember, it is never safe to drink and drive
- Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over
“In addition to DUI/Driver’s License Checkpoints, you will also see us making lots of stops during this highly visible enforcement period,” Lu said. “If we suspect anyone is driving while under the influence, officers will show zero tolerance for drunk or drugged driving.
According to Newport Beach police data, the holiday season is a particularly deadly time due to the increased number of drunk drivers on the roads. Lu said Newport Beach police are prepared to stop and arrest any drunk driver they see to keep roads safe.
Across the nation from 2007 to 2011, there were 4,169 people killed during the month of December in crashes that involved drivers with blood alcohol concentrations of .08% or higher, authorities reported. In California during those same five Decembers, 505 were killed and thousands seriously injured.
Holiday Safety Tips:
- Even one drink can impair your judgment and increase the risk of getting arrested for driving drunk - or worse, the risk of having a crash while driving.
- If you will be drinking, do not plan on driving. Plan ahead; designate a sober driver before the party begins.
- If you have been drinking, do not drive. Call a taxi, phone a sober friend or family member, or use public transportation.
- Be responsible. If someone you know is drinking, do not let that person get behind the wheel.
- If you see an impaired driver on the road, contact law enforcement. Your actions may save someone’s life, and inaction could cost a life.
- Remember, it is never safe to drink and drive
- Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over
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