The Long Beach Police Department (LBPD) announced March 19 that it screened 517 vehicles while conducting a DUI/driver’s-license checkpoint on Saturday, March 16. The department said there were no DUI arrests, but seven citations were issued, including three for unlicensed drivers. The checkpoint was at Ocean Boulevard and Cherry Avenue between the hours of 6pm and 2am.
Officials noted a distinction during Saturday’s checkpoint process: an increase in taxis and ride-share vehicles, such as Uber and Lyft.
DUI checkpoints are placed in locations based on collision statistics and frequency of DUI arrests, the department stated. In 2018, the LBPD investigated 103 DUI collisions that resulted in the death of 10 people and injured 151 others.
Drivers caught driving impaired and charged with DUI can expect the impact of a DUI arrest to be approximately $13,500, according to the LBPD. This includes fines, fees, DUI classes, license suspension and other expenses– including possible jail time.
LBPD will be conducting another DUI/driver’s-license checkpoint and/or DUI saturation patrol in the near future.
Funding for the checkpoint was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
