Drunk driving checkpoints
With St. Patrick's Day tomorrow, police around the region are stepping up patrols and drunk driving checkpoints. Over the weekend, police in Anne Arundel County conducted their 77th and 78th "Checkpoint Strike Force" exercises and made arrests for impaired driving.
Police said that on Friday, they stopped 546 drivers between 10:15 p.m. and 11:55 p.m. in the northbound lanes of Ritchie Highway near Arundel Beach Road. Two arrests were made. On Saturday, they stopped 310 drivers between 12:25 a.m. and 1:45 a.m. on the southbound lanes of Ritchie Highway near McKinsey Road. Three arrests were made.
In all the checkpoints Anne Arundel County police have set up, they have briefly stopped 68,528 cars, made 379 arrests for driving under the influence and 103 arrests for other drug offenses. Last summer, I spent time with Anne Arundel County police at a sobriety checkpoint and on patrol for impaired drivers. Here's the video.
This week, Howard County Police announced a checkpoint of their own:
"Howard County police to conduct sobriety checkpoint
The Howard County Police Department will conduct a sobriety checkpoint at an undisclosed location this week to promote awareness and reduce the number of alcohol-impaired drivers on the roads. The checkpoint will be clearly marked with signs, lights and uniformed officers. Officers will be checking for violations such as driving under the influence of alcohol, failure to use seat belts and failure to use child safety seats.
The department conducts several checkpoints throughout the year, in addition to utilizing special enforcement details specifically targeting drunken and drugged drivers. Last year in Howard County, alcohol was a factor in eight fatal collisions, and 1,296 people were arrested for driving under the influence or driving while intoxicated.
By promoting awareness about the dangers of drinking and driving, police hope to reduce the number of drivers under the influence and related collisions and injuries. Police remind citizens to always designate a sober driver or refrain from drinking alcohol if they will be driving."
