2 DUI Arrests Made at Sunday Sobriety Checkpoint

Out of 1,701 drivers screened, the  made two arrests for suspicion of drunken driving and towed seven vehicles at a sobriety and registration checkpoint Sunday night.

Police set up the grant-funded checkpoint at De Long Avenue at Redwood Boulevard, just a few steps away from the police station. Officers conducted 22 field sobriety tests, yielding the two arrests. Thirty-four citations were issued for suspended licenses and four more for unlicensed drivers. In addition, officers cited five drivers for moving violations.

“The Novato Police Department would like to thank all the drivers who participated in this educational operation and contributed to the success of deterring impaired driving and increasing public awareness,” Novato police Sgt. Oliver Collins said.

At the most recent checkpoint on June 22, one DUI arrest was made out of 997 drivers screened and 32 field sobriety tests given. That checkpoint was on Ignacio Boulevard at Palmer Drive.

The checkpoints are funded through the California Office of Traffic Safety and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Collins said the goal is to reduce the number of victims killed and injured in alcohol-involved crashes.

Locations of checkpoints are not announced in advance because it helps encourage drivers to stay sober and not circumvent the checkpoint area.

Collins said DUI collisions in Novato have claimed one life and resulted in 37 injury crashes harming 42 people over the past three years. He said research proves a 20 percent reduction in crashes involving alcohol if they are publicized well and conducted often.