DUI checkpoint aims to crack down on impaired drivers

In a move police hope will prevent motorists from driving impaired and to reduce the number of alcohol-related collisions, the Peoria Police Department and the West Valley DUI Task Force will have a DUI checkpoint on Memorial Day, funded through a grant from the state Governor's Office of Highway Safety.

Although not widely used in the Valley of the Sun, police hope to use this checkpoint as a tool to deter people from drinking and driving during the holiday weekend.

There will also be officers on roving patrols in the area, including State Route 74.

During the 2007 Memorial Day DUI checkpoint at Lake Pleasant, the West Valley DUI Task Force stopped about 1,104 vehicles leaving Lake Pleasant, arrested seven people for DUI and 15 for minors in possession/consuming alcohol.

At a DUI checkpoint, every vehicle is stopped and the driver of the vehicle is contacted. If the officer detects any signs of possible impairment, further investigation is conducted to determine if the person is driving under the influence, police officials said.

The goal of checkpoints is to deter impaired driving, which is why the department advertises checkpoint plans in advance.

The Memorial Day weekend is traditionally one of the most deadly holidays for motorists. Peoria police said West Valley law enforcement agencies, working in conjunction with the Governor's Office of Highway Safety, are determined to keep impaired drivers off the road.

The checkpoint will be in place from 3 to 7 p.m. Memorial Day on Castle Hot Springs Road near Lake Pleasant.