With the Memorial Day weekend upon us, area police departments are stepping up their crackdown on drunk driving with spontaneous DUI checkpoints.
The Denver Police Department will be launching the largest crackdown, with DUI checkpoints planned on streets throughout the city. "As Denverites honor those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our country over Memorial Day weekend, we ask them to do responsibly," Denver Police Chief Robert White said in a statement. "With the many transportation options in and around town, there is no excuse to drive while being under the influence of alcohol or drugs." Holiday weekends during the spring and summer months see the largest increase in DUI enforcement, with Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day making up a significant percentage of the summer's drunk driving arrests. The Centers for Disease Control estimates that sobriety/DUI checkpoints have the potential to prevent one in ten DUI-related deaths.
Denver Police won't release the details of where their checkpoints will be set up, hoping to catch intoxicated motorists off guard. There are some mobile apps on the market, like Waze, that allow users to submit checkpoint locations in real time. But the accuracy of these apps is dependent on its user base.
Instead of trying to figure out ways to evade these checkpoints, the best and safest strategy is just to not drink and drive. Apps like Uber and Lyft make it so easy to hail a cab and the cost of a ride between the bar and your house will always be cheaper than a DUI.
