We have probably all had some experience with roadblocks. Either you have been a driver, a passenger or, at the very least, you have seen roadblocks on TV. Roadblocks that are set up specifically to catch drunk-drivers are formally titled “sobriety checkpoints.” This type of roadblock permits law enforcement officers to set up a traffic stoppage, and to detain each motorist who passes by. The officer may check for valid driver’s licenses, proofs of insurance, and sobriety of drivers behind the wheel. However, as much as these checkpoints are utilized, they do not seem to be making a difference in deterring drunk-driving.
A prominent anti-drunk-driving activist group has published sobriety checkpoint numbers and the rates of DUI arrests on their website that are not particularly convincing. While it is not the purpose of the publication to report this kind of trend, it still proves, to some extent, that sobriety checkpoints are not performing the way they were meant to. Basically, these statistics show that states that utilize sobriety checkpoints have the same incidence rates as those states that did not use them.
There are only 10 states that do not use sobriety checkpoints, but of the 5 states with the lowest drunk-driving-related rates, 4 do not use DUI-specific roadblocks. On the other hand, out of the 5 states that have the highest drunk-driving-related mortality rates, 4 of them DO utilize DUI-specific roadblocks. These statistics seem to speak for themselves: sobriety checkpoints may not be effective in deterring drunk-driving. You could safely say that energy put into sobriety checkpoints may be better used elsewhere. That being said, please understand that we are not suggesting that you run through roadblocks whenever come across one. We are simply suggesting that sobriety checkpoints are not necessarily useful in the fight against drunk-driving. If you have any questions about drunk-driving in regard to your case, please contact an experienced Florida DUI attorney.
If you or someone you love has been arrested or charged for a Florida DUI, the experienced Florida DUI attorneys at Musca Law have helped many people avoid the extremely harsh consequences of Florida DUI convictions. We invite you to contact a Florida DUI attorney at Musca Law to schedule a free confidential consultation: (800) 687-2252.
