The Oxnard Police Department will have additional officers on patrol Saturday, April 17, 2021, specifically looking for drivers suspected of being under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. DUI patrols will be throughout the entire City from 6:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.
In addition, the Oxnard Police Department will hold a DUI/driver’s license checkpoint on April 17, 2021, from 6:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. at an undisclosed location within the city limits. DUI checkpoints and patrols are done in locations with a history of DUI-related collisions and arrests. During the checkpoint, officers will be looking for signs of alcohol and/or drug impairment, with officers checking drivers for proper licensing.
In 2018, 1,069 people were killed on California roads in crashes involving drivers who had a blood alcohol content over the legal limit (.08 or above). Last year, the Oxnard Police Department investigated 264 DUI crashes that resulted in 143 injured persons.
Oxnard Police Department reminds the public that impaired driving is not just from alcohol. Prescription or over-the-counter medications with an operating heavy machinery warning on the label can also impair. While medicinal and recreational marijuana is legal, driving under the influence of marijuana is illegal.
If you plan on drinking or are taking medications that can affect your ability to drive, please take these precautions to avoid a DUI:
- Always use a designated sober driver – a friend who is not drinking, ride-share, cab, or public transportation – to get home.
- Walking while impaired is also dangerous. Have someone sober walk you home or stay with you until a sober driver is available to pick you up.
- Report drunk drivers – Call 911.
- Hosting a party? Offer nonalcoholic drinks. Monitor who is drinking and how they are getting home.
A DUI charge is not cheap. Drivers charged with DUI face an average of $13,500 in fines and penalties, as well as a suspended license and possible jail time.
Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
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The grants do not specify what you can or cannot do. It has been shown that roving patrols are more efficient at nabbing folks who have had a little too much to drink.
If this is a DUI checkpoint, why are they also checking for valid driver’s licenses? Shouldn’t OPD only be checking for driver impairment? Isn’t this the intent? A DL check is good to do, but why not do a complete job and also check for proper liability insurance? Maybe OPD is aware, proper liability insurance is also a law in the state of California. If you check for DL, you may as well check for the appropriate automobile insurance. It takes just as long to pull your DL as it does to pull your proof of insurance. Either do it the right way, or don’t do it at all. I’ve gone round and round with the OPD Police Chief but the argument fell on deaf ears. OPD only polices select laws.
The checkpoints and saturation patrols are paid for by grants from the CA Office of Traffic Safety (still our tax dollars any way you slice it. But I’m not complaining. I support the checkpoints). I believe that they can only do whatever the grants specifies, so the insurance check may not be covered.