As thousands take to the roads for the 4th of July holiday weekend, the Delaware Office of Highway Safety hopes to cut down on DUI offenses statewide with its eighth-annual Checkpoint Strikeforce campaign.
Checkpoint Strikeforce is a regional sobriety checkpoint campaign aimed at arresting DUI offenders, and using high visibility enforcement to deter those who would otherwise choose to drink and drive. The campaign, a six month long effort running through New Year’s Eve, involves setting up weekly DUI checkpoints statewide. Officers participating in the 2008 campaign made 559 DUI arrests.
Ninety-eight sobriety checkpoints are scheduled to take place over the next six months, with six of them set to occur this weekend. During peak holiday times including Labor Day, Halloween, and the month of December, OHS will increase the number of checkpoints and add roving DUI patrols to the plan.
Those convicted of a first time DUI offense in Delaware can expect to lose their driver’s license for up to three months, attend an eighth-week DUI treatment class and pay nearly $4,000 in court, treatment, DMV and lawyer’s fees.
This weekend’s DUI checkpoints
Friday, July 3
Newport – New Castle County Police DUI Task Force
Kent County – Delaware State Police Troop 3
Millsboro – Millsboro Police Department
Milford – Milford Police Department
Saturday, July 4
Smyrna – Smyrna Police Department
Harrington – Harrington Police Department
Statewide, Del. —
