If you are planning to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in Los Angeles, you had better arrange for a designated driver or plan to call an Uber. Beginning Tuesday, the Los Angeles Police Department is rolling out a massive, week-long DUI enforcement blitz across the city.
The aggressive crackdown will feature a combination of static checkpoints and roaming “saturation patrols” specifically targeting areas with a historical record of impaired driving-related crashes and arrests. In addition to breathalyzing suspected drunk drivers, officers will be actively checking to ensure motorists are properly licensed and insured.
A $13,500 Mistake
Getting busted at one of these checkpoints will absolutely devastate your bank account. According to the LAPD, a first-time DUI charge currently carries an average cost of $13,500 in fines and associated penalties, alongside a mandatory suspended license.
On top of this, police are explicitly warning drivers that a passed breathalyzer doesn’t necessarily mean you are in the clear. With modern drug recognition experts on site, law enforcement is looking for far more than just alcohol.
“The Los Angeles Police Department reminds the public that impaired driving is not just from alcohol,” department officials stated in a written release. “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.”
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The Official LAPD Checkpoint Schedule
If you have to commute during the holiday week, here is exactly where and when the LAPD will be setting up their operations to catch impaired drivers:
- Tuesday, March 17: Checkpoints (6 p.m. to 11 p.m.) at Topanga Canyon Blvd & Roscoe Blvd, and North Santa Monica Blvd & Crescent Drive (Beverly Hills PD). Saturation patrols (3 p.m. to 11 p.m.) in the Hollywood and Pacific Divisions.
- Wednesday, March 18: Saturation patrol (4 p.m. to midnight) in the Newton Division (Fashion District, Pueblo Del Rio, South Park).
- Thursday, March 19: Checkpoints (6 p.m. to 11 p.m.) at Olympic Blvd & Orme Avenue in Boyle Heights, and Westwood Blvd & Rochester Avenue in Westwood.
- Friday, March 20: Checkpoints (6 p.m. to 11 p.m.) at Hyperion Avenue & Valley Brink Road in Atwater Village, and La Brea Avenue & Oakwood Avenue in the Fairfax District.
- Saturday, March 21: Checkpoint (6 p.m. to 11 p.m.) at Ventura Blvd and Columbus Avenue in Sherman Oaks.
- Sunday, March 22: Checkpoint (6 p.m. to 11 p.m.) at Florence Blvd and Central Avenue in South Los Angeles. Saturation patrol (Noon to 8 p.m.) in the Foothill Division (including Sun Valley, Pacoima, and Tujunga).
