The Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety (DPS) announced that they will operate a safety and sobriety checkpoint on Aug. 17. The checkpoint is scheduled to operate from 8 p.m. until 3 a.m.
The primary purpose of the checkpoint is to promote public safety, according to the Sunnyvale DPS. They aim to increase awareness about the dangers associated with drinking and driving and serve as a deterrent to potentially impaired drivers.
Vehicles traveling northbound on Mathilda between Maude Avenue and San Aleso Avenue will be randomly stopped by Sunnyvale DPS and drivers will be evaluated to determine their sobriety. Officers will also look at the safety of the vehicle, use of seatbelts and the validity of the operator’s license.
In recent years, California has seen a disturbing increase in drug-impaired driving crashes.
“Sunnyvale DPS supports the new effort from the Office of Traffic Safety that aims to educate all drivers that ‘DUI Doesn’t Just Mean Booze,’” said Sunnyvale DPS in the announcement. “If you take prescription drugs, particularly those with a driving or operating machinery warning label, you might be impaired enough to get a DUI. Marijuana can also be impairing, especially in combination with alcohol or other drugs, and can result in a DUI.”
Sunnyvale DPS offered the following reminders to ensure drivers have a safe night that doesn’t involve a DUI:
- Decide before you go out whether you plan to drink or drive. You can’t do both.
- If you plan to drink, designate a sober driver before going out or map out another safe way to get home by taxi, ride-share or public transportation. You can also lookup designated driver services in your area using the National Directory of Designated Driver Services (NDDDS).
- See your friend or another patron impaired trying to get behind the wheel? Take the keys and help them make other arrangements to get where they are going safely.
- Report drunk drivers — Call 9-1-1
Funding for this program and the safety and sobriety checkpoint was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Learn more about the Sunnyvale DPS on their website: https://sunnyvale.ca.gov/government/safety/default.htm
