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December lO~ 1992
HONOPABLE C!TY COUNCIL
Palo Alto, california
~Qid the tbirt.~n -S~~riety Chec)poin~ Program
Henber& of the Council:
This is an informational report describing this year's Sobriety
Checkpoint Program. No Council action is required.
Discussion
Consistent 'With past efforts to reduce drunk driver involved
traffic accidents, the Police Department will again conduct a
Sobriety Checkpoint designed to raise public awareness about the
problem of drunk driving. statistics show that 54 percent of all
traffic fatalities ir:Porolv@d intoxicated drivers.
Althouqh this program ena~les police officers to detect and arrest
drunk drivers I the primary purpose is to promote public safety by
discouraging intoxicated persons from driving on public streets and
hiqhways.
In october 1987, the California Sl,lpreme Court upheld the
constitutionality of sobriety checkpoints. The program consists of
a system that channels traffic through a checkpoint where po'1.5..ce.
officers conduct a rapid sobriety evaluation of randomly selected
motorists~ At the same time, drivers contacted receive literature
explaining the purpose of the program. Unless a driver exhibits
signs of intoxication, the process is completed in less than one
minute. The public's reaction to the checkpoint .... ill also :be
measured through the use of pre-addressed survey cards that will be
given to each persoM stopped. In 1987, the Scbriety Checkpoint
activity resulted in the arrest of 15 individuals~ ~ith 11 arrests
made in 1988, 4 in 1989, 3 in 1990 and 3 in 1991.
On Friday, December 18, 1992, the Police Department ~ill conduct
its si~th annual Sobriety Checkpoint trom 9:00 p.m~ to 3:00 a.m. at
El Camino Real and HanSen way. Th~ location was selected based
upon statistical i!1formation which indicates a disproportionate
number ot drunk criving arrests and accidents in tha.t area.
Business owners and residents in the vicinity of the checkpoint
have been notified. The program .... il1 again be conduct.ed as a
cooperative effort with participation from California Highway
Patrol, Stanford Department of Public Safety, Mountain Vie~ Police
Department and Los Altos Police Department.
CMR:557:92
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Page TWo
Avoid the 1birt.~n
December 18, 1992 also begins the ann'.lal "Avoici the Thirteen'"
campaign that 'Wi 11 run througl. January 2, 1993. In 1974 laW'
enforcement aqencies in Santa Clara county began an annual campaign
aimed at reducing the iH.lmber of drunk drivers on the road during
the holida:r~ season. This catlpaign, named after the l'riginal 13
agencies, has e.>..'"Pandeo over the past 19 years to include 18
agencies in the County. It is sponsored by the Santa Clb~a County
Police Chiefs' Ass~iation anq tha National Traffic Safety
Institute. During last year's campaign, 1107 drinking drivers weI'e
arre::sted irt the County {37 in Palo Alto} and 74 alcohol-related
accidents (2 in Palo Alto) occurred. Deaths from these types of
accidents have been reduced from 13 in 1974 to 2 in 1991. Palo
Alto Police Department will again actively participate in this
year's program.
CMR:557:92