The Palm Springs Police Department Traffic Unit conducted a sobriety and driver license checkpoint Friday night, which resulted in the arrests of four drivers who were driving under the influence, according to police.
A total of 763 vehicles were screened at the checkpoint that was held at East Palm Canyon at Broadmoor Drive. Of those, 13 were selected for additional screening, according to Sgt. Mitch Spike of the Palm Springs Police Department.
Four drivers were arrested for DUI, and one other person was arrested for a warrant, Spike said.
Twelve tickets were given for undisclosed reasons. 12 vehicles were stored or impounded, according to Spike.
Palm Springs Police released the following statistics on DUI.
- All 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico have established a threshold making it illegal per se to drive with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 grams per deciliter (g/dL) or higher.
- Nearly 13,500 people in 2006 were killed in U.S. highway crashes involving a driver or motorcycle rider with an illegal BAC of .08 g/dL or higher, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration statistics.
- In 2006, 6,471 passenger vehicle drivers 21 to 34 years old were killed in motor vehicle crashes. Of those, a total of 3,158 (49%) had illegal BACs of .08 or higher.
- Alcohol impairment among drivers involved in fatal crashes was four times higher at night than during the day (36% versus 9%).
- Thirty-one percent of drivers involved in fatal crashes on weekends were alcohol-impaired, compared with 15 percent during the week.
Funding of this project was provided through grant monies provided to the City of Palm Springs from the State of California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
