Sobriety Checkpoints

Sobriety Checkpoints

Sobriety Checkpoints

I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento drunk driving injury attorney. Sobriety checkpoints are popping up all over town. The most recent at 21st Street and Capitol Avenue.

Sacramento Sobriety Checkpoints

Although intimidating and cumbersome for some drivers, sobriety checkpoints have become one of law enforcement’s most successful methods of deterring and monitoring the presence of DUI offenders on our roadways. It’s an effective way of reducing the occurrence of drunk driving accidents. In addition, checkpoints that pop up in Sacramento also look for valid drivers’ licenses and vehicle registrations. Many cities, including our own, randomly use sobriety checkpoints, but most especially during peak celebratory holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Another important focus of the sobriety checkpoints is that they check for compliance. Some courts issue restricted licenses to drunk driving offenders so they can get to work. Sobriety checkpoints have been instrumental in allowing officers to monitor compliance with court-ordered restrictions as well.

Primary Purpose of Sobriety Checkpoints

The primary purpose of sobriety checkpoints is to promote and encourage safety in an effort to reduce auto accidents. Sobriety checkpoints really have become a favorite tool of law enforcement officials as evidenced by their increased frequency on our public roadways.

Do You Have a List of the Most Recent Sobriety Checkpoint Locations?

Yes. They pop up randomly throughout Sacramento county. Authorities typically place them where there has been a high occurrence of DUI arrests in the past. They are not typically announced in advance. Obviously, surprise locations are the most effective in keeping our roads safe. Here is a list of the most recent locations where sobriety checkpoints have been set up in the last few months.

Date                     City                 Intersection

11/23/2016           Sacramento  – 21st Street and Capitol Avenue

09/30/2016          Sacramento – Power Inn Road at Elder Creek Road

09/23/2016          Sacramento – Power Inn Road at Elder Creek Road

09/16/2016          Citrus Heights – Sunrise Boulevard at Oak Avenue

09/16/2016          Elk Grove – Elk Grove Boulevard

09/09/2016          Sacramento – Arden Way at Heritage Lane

09/03/2016          Folsom – Folsom Boulevard at Blue Ravine Road

09/02/2016          Rancho Cordova – Folsom Boulevard at Mcgregor Drive

09/02/2016          Elk Grove – Laguna Boulevard at Big Horn Boulevard

09/02/2016          Sacramento – Norwood Avenue at Silver Eagle Road

08/27/2016          Sacramento – 21st Street at Capital Avenue

08/26/2016          Sacramento – Jefferson Boulevard

08/19/2016          Folsom – E Bidwell at Glenn Drive

08/19/2016          Sacramento – Marysville Boulevard and Grand Avenue

08/13/2016          Citrus Heights – Birdcage Street – Sunrise Mall

07/30/2016          Sacramento – Edison Avenue

07/29/2016          Elk Grove – Laguna Boulevard between Bruceville Road and Big Horn Boulevard

07/22/2016          Citrus Heights – San Juan Avenue at Sperry Drive

07/22/2016          Sacramento – Bruceville Road at Imagination Parkway

07/16/2016          Folsom – Folsom-Auburn roads

Most Recent Sobriety Checkpoint – Midtown Sacramento

Police officers nabbed at least one drunk driver at their unannounced sobriety checkpoint in the midtown area of Sacramento on Wednesday, November 23, 2016 as of 9:30 p.m.

Nearly 600 vehicles had passed through the sobriety checkpoint by 9:30 p.m. Two motorists were found to be unlicensed and one was caught driving on a suspended driver’s license. The checkpoint was scheduled to run until about midnight.

The sobriety checkpoint, erected at 21st St and Capitol Ave, was more about education and deterrence than catching intoxicated drivers, according to Sgt. Chris Prince. A line of a dozen or more vehicles stretched down 21st Street waiting to make their way through some serious officer scrutiny just before the kick-off of Thanksgiving festivities. Officers indicated that they really want to make people think twice before getting behind the wheel drunk this holiday season. Hopefully the presence of unannounced sobriety checkpoints throughout the region will make people plan ahead and arrange for alternate methods of travel if their plans include partaking in alcoholic beverages. We want to remind folks to utilize designated drivers, taxicabs and ridesharing services this holiday season. We do this to save the lives of innocent victims and spare ourselves from the embarrassment, shame and expense of a DUI offense.

Impressed by the Sobriety Checkpoints

Thanksgiving eve is one of the busiest nights of the year for Sacramento bars. Here is what you missed if you did not see the sobriety checkpoint for yourself. We hear it was quite impressive. There was a vehicle with the front half painted just like a police car and the back half of the vehicle was painted just like a taxicab. It sat blocking two lanes of travel along 21st Street. Written on the side of the two-tone vehicle were the words – “Choose your ride.”

The vehicle is normally used by the police department’s Know Your Limit program. Officers drive the vehicle around to night clubs and local bars to talk to patrons and encourage them to utilize a taxi, or as we more commonly see these days a Lyft or Uber ride to get home safely.

Common Injuries Associated with Car Crashes, Including Drunk Driving Accidents

Drunk driving accidents are responsible for tragedy and heartbreak. As Sacramento car crash attorneys, we see accident victims each and every day. Some of the most traumatic injuries we see in our law office are suffered as the result of a drunk or impaired driver. Those injuries sometimes include:

Head and Brain Injuries (TBI)
Bone Fractures
Neck and Back Injuries
Facial Lacerations
Abdominal Trauma
Chest Trauma
Wrongful Death

This holiday season and throughout the entire year, the Edward A Smith Law Offices encourages you to drink responsibly and utilize designated drivers whenever you are planning your celebratory events.

Sacramento Drunk Driving Injury Attorneys

I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento drunk driving injury attorney. If you or someone you care about has been seriously injured by a drunk driver, please contact me right away at (916) 921-6400 for free, friendly advice. Or, toll-free at (800) 404-5400.

I’ve been helping injured victims recover compensation for their damages since 1982.

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We are proud California members of the Million Dollar Advocates. Advocates are top trial lawyers who have obtained multi-million dollar case verdicts and settlements on behalf of the injured clients they serve.

See the past verdicts and settlements of our injury attorneys here.

Founder of the leading personal injury and auto accident website in California: www.autoaccident.com.

Image Attribution: Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons – Images in the public domain.

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