Fourth of July DUI checkpoints to pop up across the country this weekend
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The Fourth of July is a particularly dangerous time of year for drunk driving activity. Motorists get careless and make bad decisions in their cars, trucks, and minivans, compromising the safety of everyone on the road. In response, police across the country are deploying DUI checkpoints all weekend.
From major cities to rural back roads, DUI checkpoints are popping up nationwide for the Fourth of July
It’s the Fourth of July weekend. Let’s face it: a staggering, seemingly unending supply of Americans will celebrate with fireworks, frivolity, and of course, a full cooler of beer. That’s okay. It’s the right of every law-abiding American adult. But that doesn’t make it okay to drink and drive. And law enforcement across the country is gearing up to fight the tide of DUI crimes with sobriety checkpoints.
In Los Angeles, for example, the LAPD will deploy DUI checkpoints across the city, and not just for boozy motorists. “The Los Angeles Police Department reminds the public that impaired driving is not just from alcohol,” an LAPD statement read. “Some prescription medications and over-the-counter drugs may interfere with driving. While medicinal and recreational marijuana are legal, driving under the influence of marijuana is illegal.”
In Colorado and Tennessee, highway patrol officers are setting up proactive checkpoints in the hopes of stopping drunk drivers from harming other motorists. “Avoid seeing red and blue lights in your rearview mirror this holiday weekend. Make a plan for your Fourth of July festivities and avoid impaired driving at all costs,” Col. Matthew Packard of the Colorado State Patrol said in a release ahead of the weekend’s checkpoint activity.
There’s a good reason why checkpoints ramp up around the Fourth of July, too. Put simply, it’s one of the deadliest times of the year for drunk driving. In the Centennial State, July leads the calendar for impaired driving-related deaths, per the Colorado Traffic Fatalities Dashboard.
DUI checkpoints are, however, a source of debate. On the one hand, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says that sobriety checkpoints “can reduce alcohol-related crashes and fatalities by 18 to 24 percent.” On the other hand, 12 states, including Texas, Michigan, and Idaho, find the checkpoints to be unconstitutional. The other 38 states, however, permit sobriety checkpoints. To find a list of DUI checkpoints near you, consult your region’s DOT website or law enforcement announcements.
