SBPDPIOBy the Santa Barbara Police Department
On March 16th, 2023, the Santa Barbara Police Department will conduct a driving under the influence (DUI) checkpoint from 6 pm to 2 am at an undisclosed location.
DUI checkpoint locations are determined based on data showing incidents of impaired driving-related crashes. The primary purpose of DUI checkpoints are to promote public safety by taking suspected impaired drivers off the road.
“Impaired drivers put others on the road at significant risk,” Traffic investigator Kasper said. “Any prevention measures that reduce the number of impaired drivers on our roads significantly improves traffic safety.”
The Santa Barbara Police Department reminds the public that impaired driving is not just from alcohol. Some prescription medications and over-the-counter drugs may interfere with driving. While medicinal and recreational marijuana are legal, driving under the influence of marijuana is illegal.
Drivers charged with a first-time DUI face an average of $13,500 in fines and penalties, as well as a suspended license.
Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Uh…….. why tonight? Tomorrow is Friday AND St. Patrick’s day. Why on earth, if you’re going to do a checkpoint, do it on a weeknight BEFORE a holiday that is famous for alcohol consumption?
It was only targeting leaving downtown headed for the on ramps. I went through it trying to get to the 101
I was there after 7pm last night at Office Max and walked over to see what all the police cars were for. The police had a huge spot light set up and then multiple vehicles (police and non marked) parked in the lane heading out of town. The exit out of Office Max was also blocked. The only lane anyone could drive through for the checkpoint was the lane heading into town. Really wish I’d taken a photo of this. – I also drove down E Haley around 7:45pm and the left turn onto Garden was blocked.
Like I said as soon as you turn right onto garden coming from EOS you’re trapped. Only traffic leaving downtown bars and the institution ale sand bar parking lot were forced into the checkpoint. I literally got stuck in it! Heading down Haley right turn onto garden leaving downtown to get on the 101 was the only thing affected all night
You’re 100% wrong I WASIN THE CHECKPOINT
It just didn’t happened that way sort, I was IN IT
Wrong
The checkpoint was set up between on Garden between Gutierrez and E Haley. Traffic coming from HWY 101 into Santa Barbara NOT traffic from Downtown to HWY 101 was stopped. IMHO the checkpoint was a absolute JOKE and waste of time. I for one would love to see the “data” that says this stretch of road has a lot of DUI crashes. My bet is that we could find crashes heading OUT of Downtown not INTO it with higher incidents of DUI crashes… Drivers coming from the Downtown bars and getting on HWY 101 should have been the target. Targeting drivers exiting HWY 101 at Garden seems a bit insane to me. Why not set up checkpoints on E Haley or Anapamu as drivers head to Garden and then HWY 101, or W Haley or Chapala as drivers head to HWY 101, or on another main thoroughfare from Downtown to HWY 101? A checkpoint in any of these areas would make more sense and keep drunk drivers off the road. This one was a total FAIL IMHO.
You’re 100% wrong! The checkpoint was on garden trapping the cars heading away from Haley toward the on ramps. It didn’t affect 101 at all. I know I went through it.
SBCOUNTYLOCAL – these things are usually a pretty big fail and, given the location choice of this one, I doubt they’re truly designed to do anything but rack up overtime hours. Why on earth would they be out looking for people driving IN to SB DT the night BEFORE St. Patrick’s Day? Wouldn’t tonight and located to catch people LEAVING SB DT be the better use of resources? Honestly, I don’t think these checkpoints provide much other than perhaps a deterrent to avoid all the very well known locations where they set these up, such as this one.
Get out there and actually TRY to bust drunk drivers! It’s your job, cops!
E SIMMONS – You should have considered pulling into a driveway, if available; and turned around if you wanted to avoid the checkpoint. I don’t think this is illegal.
Who cares!