Oceanside CA— The Oceanside Police Department Traffic Unit conducted a DUI/Drivers License checkpoint on August 31, 2018 on Oceanside Blvd at Vine St. between the hours of 8:00 p.m. and 1:00 a.m. Checkpoints are placed in locations that have the greatest opportunity for achieving drunk and drugged driving deterrence and provide the greatest safety for officers and the public.
In recent years, California has seen a disturbing increase in drug-impaired driving crashes. The Oceanside Police Department supports the new effort from the Office of Traffic Safety that aims to educate all drivers that “DUI Doesn’t Just Mean Booze.” If you take prescription drugs, particularly those with a driving or operating machinery warning on the label, you might be impaired enough to get a DUI. Marijuana can also be impairing, especially in combination with alcohol or other drugs, and can result in a DUI.
Studies of California drivers have shown that 30 percent of drivers in fatal crashes had one or more drugs in their systems. A study of active drivers showed more tested positive for drugs that may impair driving (14 percent) than did for alcohol (7.3 percent). Of the drugs, marijuana was most prevalent, at 7.4 percent, slightly more than alcohol.

Checkpoint results:

• 179 Vehicles Screened
• 3 DUI-Alcohol suspects arrested
• 0 Suspects arrested for illegal drugs (possession/transportation/sales)
• 0 Arrested on other Criminal Charges
• 10 Drivers cited/arrested for operating a vehicle unlicensed or while suspended/revoked
• 11 Total Citations issued

Two suspects from Oceanside and one from Carlsbad were arrested for driving under the influence of Alcohol.
Drivers caught driving impaired can expect the impact of a DUI arrest to include jail time, fines, fees, DUI classes, license suspension and other expenses that can exceed $10,000 not to mention the embarrassment when friends and family find out.
Oceanside PD will be conducting several DUI/Drivers License Checkpoints or DUI Saturation Patrols over this next year in our ongoing commitment to lowering deaths and injuries upon our streets and highways.
The checkpoint was funded by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, reminding everyone to ‘Report Drunk Driver – Call 9-1-1’.