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Five DUI checkpoints scheduled for Saturday statewide

Office of Highway Safety
Police will be out in force Saturday across Delaware looking for drunk and drugged drivers

The end of summer is traditionally marked by the Labor Day holiday weekend. And that long weekend is typically celebrated through picnics, pool parties, and barbecues, as families and friends enjoy the last few days of summer.  But it’s also one of the deadliest, with impaired drivers endangering themselves and others on the roads.

 

 

As part of the national Drive Sober or get Pulled Over program, the Delaware Office of Highway Safety is partnering with the National Highway Traffic Association to stop drunk and drugged drivers and help save lives.

 

There will be a number of DUI checkpoints set up statewide Saturday, according to OHS Marketing and Communications Specialist Mitch Topal.

“Obviously, we have more DUI activity. More people are driving under the influence during holiday weekends, so we have a number of tools in our toolbox that we can use to try to keep the number of DUI’s off the road or drivers under the influence off the road  and enforcement is one of them,” said Topal.

 

DUI checkpoints are planned for Saturday in New Castle County on Route 7 in Wilmington and Route 72 in Newark; in Kent County on Route 13 near Dover and in Sussex County on Route 24 in Millsboro and Concord Road in Seaford.

 

In 2016, there were 3,985 DUI arrests statewide and 43% of vehicular deaths were impaired-driving related.

OHS' Kim Chesser says the good news is those statistics are slightly down so far this year.

 

“This time last year we had a little over 2,500 DUI arrests right now currently through August 19, we had 2,390 DUI arrests. So we’re down just slightly by a hundred some DUI arrests,” said Chesser

 

The Office of Highway Safety reminds people the best strategy is to plan ahead. If you plan to drink, remember there are many options to get home such as Uber, Lyft, a taxi, or a sober friend.

 
 

Kelli Steele has over 30 years of experience covering news in Delaware, Baltimore, Winchester, Virginia, Phoenix, Arizona and San Diego, California.