DUI, driver's license checkpoint Friday night in Downey

DOWNEY – The Downey Police Department will conduct a DUI and driver’s license checkpoint Friday night, Dec. 30, starting at 8 p.m. at an undisclosed location in Downey. 

Officers will be looking for signs of alcohol or drug impairment while also checking for proper licensing. 

“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 department said in a statement. 

Two people have died in DUI collisions in Downey over the last three years, police said. There were 461 DUI collisions in total, resulting in 119 injuries. 

In California, there were 1,155 deaths related to drunk driving over the same time period. 
Studies of California drivers have shown that 30 percent of drivers in fatal crashes had one or more drugs in their systems. A study of active drivers showed more tested positive for drugs that may impair driving (14 percent) than did for alcohol (7.3 percent). 

Of the drugs, marijuana was most prevalent, at 7.4 percent, slightly more than alcohol. 

“Everyone should be mindful that if you’re taking medication – whether prescription or over-the-counter – drinking even small amounts of alcohol can greatly intensify the impairment affects,” police said. 

Police officials are not revealing the specific location of Friday’s checkpoint but said it would placed at a location “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.“