Facts About a Police Checkpoint and Drivers Under the Influence

An Auto Insurance Notification

Whether it is alcohol or drugs, driving under either influence can be a death sentence for the driver, passengers and the occupants of any other car that is on the same road. DUI checkpoints are also known as sobriety checkpoints. Because of the deadly risks with driving under influence of drugs or alcohol, the checkpoints are sanctioned activity of law enforcers in all states across the country despite characteristics that may be classified as personal and privacy intrusions.

In the State of NJ alone, the Arts Center in the Holmdel Township will host a DUI checkpoint where state troopers will be on duty to conduct vehicular driver checks.
The department of National Highway Safety Transportation cites certain boundaries for the checkpoints. Some of them incorporate the rules noted below.

Six Rules about DUI Checkpoints

• All locations of checkpoints as well as the procedures that law enforcers follow need to have authorization from state and municipal officers.
• Law enforcers are barred from doing arbitrary vehicle checks. Every vehicle that is stopped must be done in a set manner without discrimination.
• Each DUI checkpoint must have detectable signage around the site, indicating the police checking activity.
• Each vehicle check must take the same time and the entire operation should take place over a portion of a scheduled day.
• Individual checkpoint activity needs to be within set time-spans without causing too much of a burden to any driver.
• Necessary safety precautions must be in place to shield the police officers, drivers and passengers.

As recreational and medicinal marijuana becomes an approved product in more and more US states, it’s important for those using the drug to recognize the side-effects. Marijuana, like other drugs can impair your perception, motor-coordination, attentiveness as it reduces your response time. Studies prove that use of marijuana can adversely impact your speed-control as it induces drowsiness; it also makes you more prone to distracted driving techniques, making it more difficult for you to read posted signs. Driving while under the influence of marijuana can lead to accidents resulting in property loss, damages, injury and even death.

If you observe anyone that appears to be under the influence of any drug or alcohol, dial the appropriate hotline at 7-7 to report it. Give any detail you recall about the car that is being driven by someone suspected of impairment, especially the license plate number if you have it. Describe the driver and passengers in the car while noting the place where errant driving occurred and the direction in which the car was headed.