Sheriff’s Office plans sobriety checkpoint this weekend
A DUI sobriety checkpoint is scheduled for this weekend, beginning Friday, Dec. 3. The operation will take place at an undisclosed location in Lee County as the Sheriff’s Office continues its commitment to getting impaired drivers off our roadways. The December checkpoint is held in conjunction with “Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month (3D),” an education and traffic safety initiative. Checkpoint emphasis is placed on the following:
1. Remove impaired drivers from the roadway.
2. Reduce the likelihood impaired drivers will operate their vehicles on our roadways.
3. Heighten awareness.
4. Educate the public on the dangers of drunk driving.
Motorists are reminded it is a crime to mix alcohol, drugs and driving. Persons are encouraged to avoid the risk of driving if they find it hard to determine if they have consumed too many alcoholic beverages. While it may take several drinks for someone to become legally impaired, impairment begins with the first drink.
Remember, too, impaired driving is not a victimless crime. According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, in 2009, 25 fatalities and 447 injuries in Lee County were alcohol related.
Daily enforcement, sobriety checkpoints and saturation patrols by deputies with the Sheriff’s Office are a part of on-going efforts to curb traffic fatalities, injuries and crashes in Lee County.
Other tips for the holidays include:
– A “Designated Driver” is not the “Least Impaired Driver.” Those serving should remember not to offer an alcoholic beverage to a designated driver;
– Promptly report drunk drivers you see on the roadways to law enforcement, in Lee County dial 9-1-1;
– Wearing your safety belt while in a car or using a helmet and protective gear when on a motorcycle is your best defense against an impaired driver;
– “Friends Don’t Let Friends Drive Drunk.” If you know someone who is about to drive or ride while impaired, take their keys and help them make other arrangements to get to where they are going safely.