The Seal Beach Police Department will conduct a DUI/drivers license checkpoint from 6 p.m., Friday, July 29 to 3 a.m., Saturday, July 30, at the intersection of 1st Street and Pacific Coast Highway.
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.
Everyone can assist in preventing this crime from ever occurring.  Police recommend that 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 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.
