The California Highway Patrol will conduct a sobriety checkpoint from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. Saturday in the Goleta area.
Motorists approaching the checkpoint will see informational signs advising them that a sobriety checkpoint is ahead. Once diverted into the lane, motorists will be detained only for a few moments while an officer explains the purpose of the checkpoint.
CHP sobriety checkpoints are conducted in accordance with the guidelines for checkpoint operations outlined in the California Supreme Court decision, Ingersoll vs. Palmer.
Traffic volume permitting, all vehicles will be checked. If volume becomes too heavy, vehicles to be checked will be selected by a pre-set standard (such as every third, fifth or 10th vehicle) to ensure objectivity.
Placing checkpoints on roads with identified DUI problems and detaining drivers for a very limited time help ensure that the CHP conforms to the guidelines. Checkpoints tend to reduce the number of drinking drivers on the road, even though arrest totals do not rise dramatically.
Daniel Barba is a public affairs officer for the California Highway Patrol, Santa Barbara area.