Full Notification

Modesto, CA – Modesto Police Department Traffic Unit will be conducting a DUI Saturation Patrol operation on Friday, April 15 from 10:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m. and a DUI/Driver’s License checkpoint on Saturday, April 16 at an undisclosed location within the city limits between the hours of 9:30 p.m. and 3:30 a.m.

The Department is continuing its ongoing campaign to reduce the number of persons killed and injured in alcohol involved crashes. DUI checkpoints are conducted to identify offenders and get them off the street, as well as bring awareness to our community of the dangers of impaired driving.

Over the course of the past three years, DUI collisions have claimed 6 lives and resulted in 243 injury crashes harming 352 of our friends and neighbors.

Everyone can assist in preventing this crime from ever occurring. If you are planning a gathering or celebration with alcohol included, or if you are out on the town, plan ahead and designate a non-drinking sober driver. A DUI arrest costs upwards of $10,000, time in jail and the loss or your driver’s license, including years of increased insurance rates.

Statewide, overall traffic deaths declined by 23 percent, from 3,995 in 2007 to 3,081 in 2009. Total traffic fatalities are at their lowest levels in six decades, when the federal government began compiling figures. DUI deaths declined by 16 percent, from 1,132 in 2007 to 950 in 2009.

Alcohol impaired deaths still make up the largest category of overall vehicle fatalities, with 31 percent of all deaths caused by a drunk driver. A DUI checkpoint is a proven effective method to lower these numbers. Additionally, drivers will be checked to ensure that they have a valid driver’s license.

Funding for this operation is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Remember, everyone is encouraged to help keep our roadways safe; Report Drunk Drivers – Call 911!

MEDIA NOTES: To schedule an interview regarding the Modesto Police Department’s Traffic Safety Operations, please contact Sergeant Brian Findlen at 652-1386 or via email at [email protected]. To schedule an interview regarding impaired driving efforts and programs in California please contact Chris Cochran, California Office of Traffic Safety at (916) 905-3063 or via email at [email protected].