Asante-Ra |
The San Bernardino PD is doing its part to ensure community health and safety by conducting DUI checkpoints.
During one such checkpoint on January 20th, six motorists were arrested for driving under the influence. This was just two days after two cyclists were fatally struck by a suspected drunk driver in Rancho Cucamonga.
The checkpoint was held at the intersection of Baseline and Waterman Avenue from 6:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. In total, 559 vehicles were contacted during the event and 20 of those vehicles were impounded. Thirty-seven drivers were cited for operating a vehicle unlicensed or with a suspended/revoked license.
The primary purpose of DUI checkpoints is to promote public safety by taking impaired drivers off the roads. Checkpoint locations are determined based on reported incidents of impaired driving-related crashes.
The San Bernardino Police Department also arrested four drivers on suspicion of DUI while conducting DUI patrols on January 27, 2023. 45 drivers were cited, and nine were arrested for driving with no license or a suspended license. Eight were arrested for other crimes.
DUI penalties are costly. Drivers charged with a first-time DUI face an average of $13,500 in fines and penalties, as well as a suspended license.
Preventable Collisions
Funding was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
According to NHTSA, 11,654 people were killed in the U.S. in an alcohol-involved collision in 2020. That means a person died every 45 minutes in these preventable collisions.
Data from sbcounty.gov states that San Bernardino County has a higher rate of alcohol-involved collisions than the state on average. 11% of serious collisions in San Bernardino County involved alcohol, compared to 10% of collisions statewide.
The number of alcohol-involved accidents was relatively flat at the county level between 2018 and 2019 and dropped 1% statewide. Over the past 10 years, alcohol-involved collisions per capita in San Bernardino have fluctuated to a present rate of 56 per 100,000 in 2019 – somewhat higher than the statewide rate of 50 per 100,000.
In 2019, alcohol-involved collisions claimed 77 lives in San Bernardino County.
The next checkpoint will be held on February 3rd, 2023.