Crime & Safety
Sobriety Checkpoint Set for Tonight
LAPD plans safety stops on Ventura Boulevard in Sherman Oaks.
Los Angeles police officers will conduct stops in Sherman Oaks tonight on Ventura Boulevard between Noble Avenue and the San Diego Freeway, LAPD Media Relations confirmed.
The police will be checking drivers for signs of alcohol and drug impairment as well as for proper licensing. Although police expect traffic to be slowed slightly, they do not anticipate long delays.
Anyone suspected of driving under the influence will be asked to pull over and undergo a field sobriety test. Those who fail the test can expect to be arrested and have their cars impounded, police said.
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The LAPD tends to use this part of Ventura Boulevard for its DUI checkpoints because of the large number of bars and restaurants in the area. Traffic through this section of Sherman Oaks is usually busy on weekend evenings.
The checkpoints are set up to reduce traffic deaths by getting impaired motorists off the road. According to the LAPD Web site: "Alcohol impaired deaths [made up] the largest category of overall vehicle fatalities in 2009, with 31 percent of all deaths caused by a drunk or impaired driver."
