Pennsylvania DUI Blog » Thanksgiving DUI Checkpoints in PA

Pennsylvania DUI Checkpoints: Are They Really Worth It?

Justin McShane — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 11:00:29 +0000

While most of us will be enjoying the next few weeks as part of the holiday season, police all across Pennsylvania are gearing up for the DUI Checkpoint season. As a part of their DUI enforcement efforts, PENNDOT, Pennsylvania State Police and local police from all across the Commonwealth will be setting up more and more DUI checkpoints along Pennsylvania’s busy roadways.

But as taxpayers, aren’t we entitled to ask, “Are DUI Checkpoints worth the money?”

Police in Pennsylvania are gearing up for more DUI checkpoints over the holidays.

According to a recent article, ” Statistics don’t justify sobriety checkpoints“:

Consider that over 1 million vehicles went through 1,469 California sobriety checkpoints in 2008. Police arrested just one-third of 1 percent of those motorists for drunken driving. A similar analysis found that in 2007, less than 1 percent of the more than 181,000 drivers stopped at Pennsylvania checkpoints were arrested.

This is pretty consistent with the police reports in the local papers. The DUI arrests normally represent only 1% or less of the vehicles stopped. That’s 99 drivers being stopped, searched and being treated like a criminal for one POSSIBLE drunk person.

Not only are DUI checkpoints a bad idea statistically, but the economic costs are much higher than the alternatives. Once again the author of this article asks:

These exercises in futility are extremely expensive. Checkpoints can cost more than $10,000 each time they’re set up compared to $300 for each roving patrol. Considering how tight state and local budgets are in this dismal economy, is it really a wise investment?

The sad fact is, politicians don’t make laws based on statistics or the economic impact. They make DUI laws based on what lobbyists tell them to do. MADD and other powerful DUI lobbies are hard at work pushing their agendas and politicians fall in tow and dare not question the simulated reality.

This is why we need to wake up to these facts and continue to ask for a better way.

11/23/2011 DUI Checkpoints in PA

Justin McShane — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 02:23:28 +0000

If you know of any roadblocks (sobriety checkpoints), please report them here by making a comment. Please continue to check in here for all of the latest. Use this hypertext link to stay up to date on the November 23, 2011 DUI checkpoints in PA: Thanksgiving 2011 DUI Checkpoints in PA.

Pittsburgh area DUI checkpoint (roadblock) on Parkway West between Rosslyn Farms and Carnegie

Justin McShane — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 01:43:12 +0000

There is reported to be a DUI roadblock (checkpoint) set up tonight in the Pittsburgh area on Parkway West between Rosslyn Farms and Carnegie. Remember that a DUI roadblock is presumptively illegal unless certain legal requirements are met.

Drexel Hill, PA DUI Checkpoint-Roadblock

Justin McShane — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 01:30:58 +0000

There is reported to be a DUI roadblock (checkpoint) set up tonight on Burmont and township line tonight in Drexel Hill, PA. Please remember that it is illegal to avoid a checkpoint and you cannot be stopped simply for lawfully driving and avoiding one.

Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area DUI Checkpoint

Justin McShane — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 16:29:49 +0000

Police in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area are looking to set up DUI checkpoints in the Park. Please remember that a DUI in a National Park administrated area is treated as a federal offense.

Thanksgiving DUI Checkpoints in Pennsylvania

Justin McShane — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 17:23:00 +0000

PennDOT as well as state and local police across Pennsylvania will be taking part in a new initiative called “Operation Safe Holiday”. This will comprise of more seatbelt check and certainly more DUI checkpoints on Pennsylvania roadways. Thanksgiving is always one of the busiest times of the year for DUI checkpoints because of the high traffic volume and increased support police departments receive from special interest groups.

In an effort to keep the public informed, Pennsylvania DUI blog will be posting timely updates on DUI checkpoints being conducting all over Pennsylvania. We encourage you to take part and use the comments below to share any information you may have.

Please visit: Thanksgiving DUI Checkpoints in Pennsylvania and also subscribe to our RSS feed for up to the minute information.

Remember to share this post with your friends and stay safe.