Sheriff’s deputies from the Santee station will conduct a DUI checkpoint next Friday, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department announced.
The checkpoint will be held from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. next Friday at an undisclosed location within city limits, the department announced. Checkpoints are conducted to promote public safety by removing suspected intoxicated drivers from the road. Locations are determined based on data that show incidents of DUI-related crashes.
Officials said county residents should also remember that DUI isn’t restricted to drinking alcoholic beverages, as “some prescription medications and over-the-counter drugs may interfere with driving.”
Medicinal and recreational marijuana are legal in California, but driving under the influence of marijuana is illegal, the department reported.
Those who plan on consuming alcohol or taking medications that can affect the ability to drive should always have designated sober driver, or someone who is sober if walking home, report impaired drivers by calling 911, offer non-alcoholic drinks if hosting a party and monitor guests who are drinking.
According to the Sheriff’s Department, a person charged with a first- time DUI offense will have to pay an average of $13,500 in fines and penalties, along with a suspended license.
–City News Service