Redlands Police Department Planning DUI Checkpoints

The following news release is courtesy of the Redlands Police Department.

This holiday season, the Redlands Police Department will be out in force cracking down on impaired drivers with special DUI/Drivers License Checkpoints.  Checkpoints are scheduled for Dec. 20 and 27 to help keep roads safe for holiday travelers.

Beginning at 10 p.m. Friday, Dec. 20, Redlands Police will conduct a checkpoint in the westbound lanes of Brookside Avenue at Grant Street, continuing through 3 a.m. Saturday.

The following week, beginning at 10 p.m. Friday, Dec. 27, Redlands Police will conduct a checkpoint in the southbound lanes of Wabash Street at Brockton Avenue, continuing through 3 a.m. Saturday.

The Redlands Police Department is giving fair warning to all partygoers.  “In addition to DUI/Drivers License Checkpoints, you will also see us making lots of stops during this highly visible enforcement period,” said Sgt. Jeremy Floyd, who supervises the RPD Traffic Unit.   “If we suspect anyone is driving while under the influence, officers will show zero tolerance for drunk or drugged driving.”

On Dec. 11, Redlands Police officers on grant-funded traffic patrol issued 29 citations for violations including speeding, running stop signs and crossing the double-yellow line. In addition one vehicle was towed after it was determined that the driver has never had a valid drivers license.

On Friday, Dec. 13, Redlands Police conducted a warrant service, arresting four people who had failed to appear in court on previous DUI arrests.

On Tuesday, Dec. 17, Redlands Police officers conducted a grant-funded distracted driver detail, issuing 25 citations for violations such as talking or texting on the cell phone while driving.

Data shows that the holiday season is a particularly deadly time due to the increased number of drunk drivers on the roads, and the RPD is prepared to stop and arrest any drunk driver they see to keep roads safe. 

Nationally in the five years from 2007 to 2011 there were 4,169 people killed during the month of December in crashes that involved drivers with Blood Alcohol Concentrations (BAC) of .08 percent or higher.  In California during those same five Decembers, 505 were killed and thousands seriously injured.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 32,367 people were killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes across the nation in 2011, and 31 percent (9,878) of those fatalities occurred in drunk-driving-related crashes.  Californians witnessed a total of 2,835 deaths with 774 killed in DUI crashes on their streets and highways.

Drunk drivers often face jail time, the loss of their driver licenses, higher insurance rates, and dozens of other unanticipated expenses ranging from attorney fees, court costs, car towing and repairs, to lost wages due to time off from work. Even worse, a drunk driver can cause a traffic crash that claims someone’s life, or their own.

Please follow these tips to keep the holidays safe and happy:

• 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.

Funding for these checkpoints is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that reminds everyone: Report Drunk Drivers!  Call 9-1-1.

DUI checkpoints are a component of the Redlands Police Department’s Responsible Redlands initiative. The Redlands Police Department, with the support of state agencies, including the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control and Office of Traffic Safety, the County of San Bernardino, and local businesses and community groups, launched the initiative in late August to focus on enforcing alcohol laws.

The Responsible Redlands initiative aims to curb the problems related to binge and underage drinking in Redlands in order to achieve a safer, healthier community. The campaign includes DUI checkpoints and saturation patrols to identify intoxicated drivers, party patrols to enforce the City’s Social Host Ordinance, decoy operations to cite businesses and individuals who provide alcohol to underage persons and educational efforts for local businesses that serve alcohol. Responsible Redlands welcomes partnerships with alcohol retailers and establishments that serve alcohol.

The Responsible Redlands initiative addresses problems related to binge and underage drinking through ongoing strategic operations to enforce alcohol laws. It is a collaborative effort formed and led by the Redlands Police Department, supported by the Common Vision Coalition, local businesses and the State Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control District Office and State Office of Traffic Safety.