Sobriety Checkpoints
You Drink, You Drive, You Lose
Over the limit, Under arrest
As a requirement of the 2006-2007 Governor’s Highway Safety Bureau’s traffic safety grant, the Watertown Police department was responsible for a concentrated enforcement period to detect and apprehend impaired drivers during the period between July 1, 2006 and July 16, 2006.The Watertown Police Department teams up with the Massachusetts State Police periodically to conduct sobriety checkpoints. This brings the State Police B.A.T. mobile (Breath, Alcohol Testing Mobile) to the checkpoint. Prior to the Sobriety Checkpoint being implemented, a crash analysis was conducted by this department as well as the State Police Brighton barracks. Records of motor vehicle crashes, DUI arrests, fatal motor vehicle accidents and motor vehicle crashes involving a DUI arrest were compiled. Data was recorded for the calendar year 2004, 2005 and the first six months of 2006 and was forwarded to Lt. Bruce Lint of the State Police. Based on the accident data submitted, two sites were identified as being “high crash” streets with one or more of the listed criteria. The first sobriety checkpoint was scheduled for July 14, 2006 from 11PM to 3AM.
With the assistance of the Watertown DPW crew and another DPW crew from the DCR, Nonantum Road was coned off to filter both east and westbound lanes into single lanes of traffic at Water Street. At approximately 11PM the Sobriety Checkpoint was in place and operational. The checkpoint resulted in the following:
- A total of 647 motorists traveled thru the checkpoint from 11PM to 3AM. Of the 647 motorists passing through, 35 were flagged for further observation. (Showed some or several signs of alcohol consumption)
- Of the 35 motorists questioned, collectively fifteen were arrested and charged with Operating Under the Influence of alcohol (OUI).
- Of the 20 remaining, 5 were summonsed to court for criminal offenses ranging from being unlicensed, suspended license, minor in possession of alcohol and having an open contained of alcohol in a motor vehicle.
- 15 were checked and released after they were tested for impairment
- Only one of the thirty-five had nothing to drink at all. (Overtired)
- A total of 30 citations were issued during the enforcement period.
- 19 motor vehicles were towed during the enforcement period.
Sobriety Checkpoint photographs
The most recent checkpoint was conducted on Friday June 13, 2008 between 11PM and 3AM. At total of 372 vehicles passed through the checkpoint, 24 of those were flagged for further observation. Of those 24, ten were arrested for OUI and one was summoned for OUI.
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