Riverside Co. Sheriff Plans Temecula DUI Checkpoint This Weekend

TEMECULA, CA —As part of its on-going commitment to keeping the traveling public safe, the Riverside County Sheriff's Department has announced it will conduct a Driving Under the Influence (DUI) Checkpoint this weekend in Temecula.

The sheriff's department will not disclose the location of the checkpoint, but said it will be operational from 7 p.m. Saturday until 3 a.m. Sunday. Locations of DUI checkpoints are chosen based on a history of DUI crashes and arrests in the area, the department said.

In a release, the department said the purpose of the checkpoint is not to make arrests, but to promote public safety by deterring drivers from driving impaired. Though officers at the checkpoint will arrest drivers who show signs of being under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.

"The safety of our community is and always will be our mission," said Sergeant Craig Roberts of the Riverside County Sheriff's Department. "We are looking for impaired drivers because driving under the influence is dangerous and puts others on the road at risk."

The sheriff's department reminds drivers that impaired driving results from the use of alcohol, prescription medications and over-the-counter drugs that may interfere with one's ability to operate a vehicle.

Drivers are asked to read warning labels about driving or "operating heavy machinery," the latter obviously includes driving a car. Additionally, though marijuana now is legal, it remains illegal to drive under the influence of the drug.

A first-time DUI can cost a driver an average of $13,500 in fines and penalties, and result in a suspended license, the sheriff's department said.

According to the department: "If you plan on drinking or taking medications that may impact your ability to drive safely, plan on staying home."

Funding for the department's Driving Under the Influence (DUI) Checkpoint program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.