The Turlock Police Department will be conducting a driving under the influence and drivers license checkpoint between starting at 9 p.m. Friday and ending at 2:30 a.m. Saturday. The checkpoint will be at an undisclosed location in the city.

Officers will be looking for signs of alcohol and/or drug impairment with officers checking drivers for proper licensing delaying motorists only momentarily. When possible, specially trained officers will be available to evaluate those suspected of drug-impaired driving, which now accounts for a growing number of impaired driving crashes. 

The deterrent effect of DUI checkpoints is a proven resource in reducing the number of persons killed and injured in alcohol or drug involved crashes. Research shows that crashes involving an impaired driver can be reduced by up to 20 percent when well-publicized DUI checkpoints and proactive DUI patrols are conducted routinely. DUI Checkpoints are placed in locations based on collision statistics and frequency of DUI arrests, affording the greatest opportunity for achieving drunk and drugged driving deterrence. Locations are chosen with safety considerations for the officers and the public.

In California, this deadly crime led to 867 deaths and over 23,000 serious injuries in 2013 because someone failed to designate a sober driver, according to the California Office of Traffic Safety. Nationally, the latest data shows over 10,000 were killed by an impaired driver. Over the course of the past three years officers have investigated 29 DUI collisions which have claimed 3 lives and resulted in another 47 injuries.

Drivers caught driving impaired can expect the impact of a DUI arrest to include jail time, fines, fees, DUI classes, other expenses that can exceed $10,000 not to mention the embarrassment when friends and family find out.

Funding for this checkpoint is provided to Turlock Police Department by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.