Elk Grove Police Department plan DUI Checkpoint and Roving DUI Patrols in May

The Elk Grove Police Department Traffic Bureau will be conducting a Sobriety / Drivers License checkpoint at an undisclosed location within the city limits along with several special DUI roving saturation patrols during the month of May.

* Sobriety / Drivers License checkpoint on May 20, 2011 from 8:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m.
* Roving DUI saturation patrols will be deployed on May 13th, 14th, 21st, and 27th

Over the course of the past three years, DUI collisions have claimed 6 lives and resulted in 88 injury crashes harming 111 of our friends and neighbors in Elk Grove.

Statewide, overall traffic deaths declined by 23 percent, from 3,995 in 2007 to 3,081 in 2009. Total traffic fatalities are at their lowest levels in six decades. DUI deaths declined by 16 percent, from 1,132 in 2007 to 950 in 2009.

Alcohol impaired deaths still make up the largest category of overall vehicle fatalities in 2009 with 31 percent of all deaths caused by a drunk driver. A DUI checkpoint is a proven effective method to lower these numbers. Additionally, drivers will be checked to ensure that they have a valid driver’s license.

The Elk Grove Police Department reminds everyone that they can assist in preventing this crime from ever occurring. If you are planning a gathering or celebration with alcohol included, or if you are out on the town, plan ahead and designate a non-drinking sober driver. A DUI arrest costs upwards of $10,000, time in jail and the loss or your driver’s license including insurance rates that will skyrocket!

Funding for the sobriety checkpoint and saturation patrols is provided through a DUI Enforcement and Awareness Grant that was made available by the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.