Crime & Safety
DUI Checkpoint Tonight
Seal Beach police will conduct a DUI checkpoint tonight at on PCH, bordering Long Beach.
The Seal Beach Police Department traffic unit will continue its campaign against alcohol-related crashes with a checkpoint Friday at the intersection of 1st and Pacific Coast Highway between 6 p.m. and 3 a.m.
Your best bet: Plan ahead, designate a non-drinking, sober driver. Remember, a DUI conviction costs around $10,000, plus time in jail and the loss of your driver’s license.
According to the Seal Beach Police Department, total traffic fatalities are at their lowest levels since the federal government began compiling figures six decades ago. Overall traffic deaths declined by 23 percent, from 3,995 in 2007 to 3,081 in 2009. DUI deaths declined by 16 percent, from 1,132 in 2007 to 950 in 2009.
More than 31 percent of all deaths caused on the roads are caused by drunk drivers, according to Seal Beach police. The DUI checkpoint in Seal Beach is intended to lower these numbers and continue to raise awareness about drinking and driving.
In addition to the alcohol screenings, drivers will be checked to ensure that they have a valid driver’s license.
The California Office of Traffic Safety is paying for the checkpoint through a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration grant.
