DUI Checkpoint Planned for Friday in San Mateo

The San Mateo Police Department will conduct a DUI checkpoint on Friday night in an effort to keep drunken drivers off the roads.

The checkpoint will take place on Hillsdale Boulevard between 6:00 p.m. Friday and 2:00 a.m. Saturday, police said.

Officers will check drivers through the checkpoint for signs of alcohol or drug impairments, as well as proper licensing.

If an officer suspects a driver has been drinking or is impaired, the officer will conduct a field sobriety test. If the driver fails the test, the driver could face jail, vehicle storage fees, license suspension, insurance increases, along with fines, fees, DUI classes, and other expenses that can exceed $10,000.

Statewide traffic deaths have declined by 23 percent, from 3,995 in 2007 to 3,081 in 2009, according to the San Mateo Police Department.

Total traffic fatalities are at their lowest levels in six decades, when the federal government began compiling figures.

In addition, DUI deaths have declined by 16 percent, from 1,132 in 2007 to 950 in 2009, according to federal statistics. Alcohol impaired deaths still make up the largest category of overall vehicle fatalities in 2009, with 31 percent of all deaths caused by a drunk or impaired driver.