Sobriety Checkpoints: Always Accurate?
According to the Los Angeles Police Department’s website, “the purpose of the Sobriety/Driver’s License checkpoint is to reduce the number of traffic collisions involving intoxicated and unlicensed drivers through enforcement and public awareness.” For all intensive purposes, sobriety checkpoints are a great addition to the policing of any community. Under ideal circumstances, these checkpoints can reduce the number of alcohol-impaired drivers on the road, thus making it safer for all other motorists. However, it is imperative that these checkpoints are properly maintained, and that innocent drivers are not singled out and punished for infractions relating to Los Angeles DUI offenses that they really didn’t commit.
At sobriety checkpoints, law enforcement officers can ask a motorist to vacate his or her vehicle, and possibly ask them to undergo a battery of tests meant to determine whether or not the driver is in fact driving while under the influence of either alcohol or drugs. However, if these tests are not administered properly, or if the law enforcement officials already are convinced that the motorist is in fact under the influence, then the ensuing test can be relatively biased, thus creating the potential for error and misjudgment.
Law enforcement officials are trained to look for indicators that an individual is under the influence. These include bloodshot eyes, slurred speech, fumbling fingers, the smell of alcohol on one’s breath, and the presence of open alcohol containers in the car. To improve the chances of accurate determination in regard to whether or not a person is under the influence of alcohol, it is highly desired that officers go through DWI Detection and Standardized Field Sobriety Testing (SFST) training prior to being assigned to work a sobriety checkpoint.
