dui checkpoints | Apple Valley Bail Bonds

Published March 21, 2018

Do You Hate DUI Checkpoints? Here’s Why You Shouldn’t

Whenever a holiday that involves a lot of drinking rolls around, you can bet that there will be an increase in DUI checkpoints. With Saint Patrick’s Day right around the corner, you will definitely be seeing more of these checkpoints.

Most people do not like DUI checkpoints, and for obvious reasons. Checkpoints like these slow the flow of traffic and can cause gridlock. When a person has somewhere they want to be, getting stuck at a checkpoint can be understandably frustrating. However, while DUI checkpoints can be annoying, the police officers create them for a reason.

Roughly 800 people are injured by drunk driving accidents every single day, and that is without the excuse of a holiday to start drinking. In an effort to reduce the amount of accidents that could occur around a holiday, local police setup DUI checkpoints to catch people who are driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Going through a checkpoint may be slow going, but it is incredibly easy if you have not been drinking. When you arrive at a checkpoint, an officer will wave you forward. The officer will then ask a few questions such as:

• Where are you going?
• Where are you coming from?
• Have you been drinking?

After all of the questions have been answered, if everything checks out, the officer will send you on your way. However, if the officer suspects that you have been drinking, they will ask you to pull over to the side where another officer will perform a more thorough investigation. If it is determined that you have been drinking, then you will be arrested for DUI.

Driving while under the influence of any substance is never a good idea. Substances like alcohol affect a person’s abilities to make good decisions and their control over their motor skills. Getting behind the wheel of a vehicle while drunk endangers the driver’s life, as well as the lives of every person that they pass on the road. DUI checkpoints help catch drunk drivers before they have a chance to hurt anyone, thereby making the roads safer for everyone around any day where people will be consuming more alcohol than usual.

Published December 7, 2017

More Checkpoints Around Holidays

DUI checkpoints can be intimidating to people, even when they have done nothing wrong. When it comes to DUI checkpoints, the only people who need to worry, are the ones who were drinking before they got behind the wheel of their vehicle. These checkpoints increase in frequency around holidays, especially ones that involve a lot of partying.

The police know that people tend to drink more around holidays. This leads to an increase in drunk driving incidents. That is why the police set up more DUI checkpoints around holidays like Christmas and New Year’s. The goal is to save lives by reducing the amount drunk driving incidents that can occur.

When a person comes across a checkpoint, they will likely encounter a line of cars. One by one, a team of officers will each call forward a vehicle to interview the driver. The officers will ask where the driver is headed, where they came from, and have they been drinking. They will also ask to see the driver’s license and registration.

So long as the driver cooperates, and the officer does not suspect that the driver has been drinking, the driver will be able to go on their way. However, if the officer does suspect that the driver has been drinking, then the driver will be asked to pull over to the side. From there, another officer will likely issue a field sobriety test. If the driver fails this, he or she will be held until they sober up, or someone comes to pick them up.

DUI checkpoints are nothing to be afraid of. They are only meant to catch drunk drivers. These checkpoints catch hundreds of drunk drivers, and keep the streets safe for everyone on the road.

Published November 29, 2017

DUI Checkpoints and Holidays

Whenever holidays roll around, especially big ones that involve parties and drinking, you can expect to see an increase in DUI checkpoints. These checkpoints help police officers discover drunk drivers before they have a chance to cause any accidents. The checkpoints increase around holidays because officers know that people are more likely to drink during these times.

Some people find DUI checkpoints annoying, and it is completely understandable. These checkpoints do tend to slow down traffic wherever they are set up, no matter how quickly the officers are at running them. This is why it is legal for people to avoid DUI checkpoints if they want, provided they do not break any traffic laws to do so.

However, even though DUI Checkpoints can be annoying, they are incredibly helpful. They remove drunk drivers off the road before anyone gets injured. These checkpoints help prevent thousands of injuries and save hundreds of lives.

Coming across a DUI checkpoint is nothing to worry about. An officer will motion for you to pull up and will then ask you some questions. The officer will ask where you are going, where you are coming from, and have you been drinking. The officer may also ask to see your license and registration. As long as everything checks out, and the officer has no reason to expect that you might have been drinking, they will send you on your way.

If the officer does think a driver has been drinking, they will have the driver pull over to the side. Depending on how drunk the driver is, they may arrest the person or have him sit in a drunk tank until sober.

No one should ever get behind the wheel of a vehicle while drunk. Unfortunately, hundreds of people do it on a daily basis. This causes thousands of accidents and harms thousands of people. This is why officers set up checkpoints to try and reduce that number.

Published October 23, 2017

DUI Checkpoints on Halloween

Drinking and driving is never a good idea. Unfortunately, thousands of people decide to do so every day, especially around holidays. This includes Halloween. People are out and about partying and having fun when they decide they are not too drunk to drive. They get behind the wheel of a vehicle, and inevitably cause an accident.

This is horrible on any day of the year, but can be infinitely worse on Halloween due to the increase in foot traffic caused by children trick or treating. This is why police officers are so determined to stop drunk drivers on Halloween. One of the best ways that they do this is by setting up DUI checkpoints.

DUI checkpoints help law enforcement officers find drivers who are driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. This is done by setting up the checkpoint on a road that is known to be well traveled by people who have been drinking. The officers will restrict the flow of traffic down to a few lanes, and quickly interview every driver they passes through. They will ask each driver a few questions, and look closely for any signs of intoxication.

If the driver doesn’t show any signs of inebriation, then they will be free to go on their way. However, if the officer suspects that the driver is under the influence of something, the driver will be asked to pullover to the side. The driver will then have to take a field sobriety test, and if they fail that, they can be taken into custody.

While this may slow down traffic, it is all for a good reason. On Halloween, kids are all over the streets as the go on their annual hunt for candy. No one wants to hear a story about a drunk driver killing someone on a normal day. On Halloween, the story could be much worse.

Published June 20, 2017

Arrange Sober Transportation and Avoid DUI Checkpoints

Although the 4th of July falls on a Tuesday this year rather than the weekend, do not rule out the people enjoying a little extra partying, and the police setting up a few extra DUI checkpoints. As always, there will be many celebrations over the weekend. Then some people will have to go to work on that Monday, July 3rd, while others may get that day off. This means they would get a 4-day weekend. Work or no work on that 3rd, people are going to party hard anyway.

Anticipating a spike in alcohol consumption, the police will inevitably have more DUI checkpoints than normal. Some checkpoint locations will be announced beforehand, while others will pop up unexpectedly. If you are driving and see a checkpoint up ahead, it actually is not illegal to make a u-turn to avoid the checkpoint, as long as you do so legally. The police at the checkpoint would not drive after you if they see you making a legal u-turn unless you are doing so erratically.

If you continue to drive on to the checkpoint, then you will follow the officer’s instructions of coming to a stop and answering basic questions such as “where are you coming from,” “where are you headed,” “have you been drinking tonight,” and if yes, “how much have you had to drink?” Not only is the officer listening to your answers, they are observing your pupils for signs of redness or dilation. They are listening to how you deliver your answers and are using their nose to identify any alcohol on your breath. In addition to observing you, the officer is also observing your vehicle in case you have passengers, alcohol, or other illegal contraband. This is not a detailed search. They are only quickly scanning what is in plain view. If you check out with the officer, you will be free to leave the checkpoint to drive on to your destination. If the officer concludes that you have been driving under the influence, they will arrest you.

In California, a first-time DUI offense can cost tens of thousands of dollars. This price includes insurance spikes, your impounded car, retaking a driver’s course, and more. Had you been in an accident because you were driving under the influence, that cost would increase drastically to cover vehicle repairs and hospital bills. Getting a sober driver like a Lyft or Uber would only cost you a few bucks. They would have no problem if they came across a DUI checkpoint while driving you home.

Wherever you plan on celebrating America’s birthday this year, plan how you will be getting home at the end of the night ahead of time. Either arrange for a friend or family member to pick you up, designate a sober driver, or call for an Uber or Lyft. This way, you do not have to worry about driving yourself home safely because someone else will already have that covered. DUI checkpoints will not be your problem!

Published March 8, 2017

If You Are Unfamiliar with DUI Checkpoints, This is What you Should Know

There is no doubt that St. Patrick’s Day has become a drinking holiday. This year, it falls on a Friday, which is an added plus for almost everyone who celebrates. No work the next day! This means people are more likely to stay at the bar until closing and consume an extra drink or two. However, this also means there could be an extra DUI checkpoint or two. If you are unfamiliar with checkpoints, here is some information to know:

• Police set up checkpoints to filter out intoxicated drivers. They want to catch these people to keep the road safe.
• Checkpoint times and locations may or may not be posted publicly online ahead of time. Sometimes they are, sometimes they aren’t.
• Checkpoints can be random, but on major holidays like New Years and 4th of July there will be more than usual.
• If you are driving and happen upon a checkpoint, you will slow down and pull over to the side of the road, per the officer’s orders.
• At a checkpoint, you will be asked where you’re coming from, where you’re going, if you’ve been drinking already, and if so, how much.
• Those who pass the routine questions at a checkpoint will be allowed to continue on to their destination. Those who are revealed to be under the influence will either have to wait on-site in a “drunk tank” and sober up, call someone to pick them up, or in some cases, are arrested.

DUI checkpoints are common enough where a person should have nothing to worry about unless they are intoxicated, carrying illegal contraband, or are a wanted person. Most people who go through a checkpoint are cleared. Go ahead and ask around your group of friends, a handful are bound to have crossed a checkpoint at some time. If you have nothing to hide, you will not have any reason to be scared or nervous, it is just a few questions to answer then you can be on your way.

The overall lesson is to not drink and drive. It is dangerous, costly, and never worth the risk.

Published March 5, 2017

Don’t Turn Your $40 Bar Tab into a $1,000 DUI

March 17 is St. Patrick’s Day and you can expect the bars to be flowing with people dressed in green, drinking green colored cocktails and beer. St. Patrick’s Day is another excuse for adults to get a little more drunk than usual. If you plan on taking part in the drinking and the fun, then all we ask of you is to leave your car at home and instead call a taxi, a rideshare service like Uber or Lyft, or designate a sober driver.

By doing this, you increase your safety and the safety of other drivers by a lot. Think of it this way: would you rather pay $10-$20 on a cab or pay a few thousand on a DUI? That DUI will cost you your license plus time and money spent on driving classes, increased insurance, lawyers, bail. Trust another sober driver to drive you home that night. Your wallet and your conscience will certainly appreciate it.

Plus, Apple Valley Bail Bonds will certainly appreciate knowing there is one less drunk person on the road. Nonetheless, if you, or someone you know, are in need of a bail bond, whether it is a DUI-related arrest or not, Apple Valley Bail Bonds will certainly be there to assist with the bail process. We will work fast and passionately to reunite you with your concerned loved ones.