Checkpoint Planned St. Paddy's Day Weekend in Murrieta

Murrieta police will be checking for drunk and/or unlicensed drivers during a checkpoint this St. Patrick's Day weekend.

Motorists were advised that the checkpoint will be held from 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 16 to 2:30 a.m. Sunday, March 17 at an undisclosed location within Murrieta city limits.

Murrieta police are holding the checkpoint in an effort to deter casualties attributed to drunk driving.

“Over the course of the past three years, DUI collisions have claimed six lives and resulted in 71 injury crashes harming 96 of our friends and neighbors,” Murrieta police Sgt. Jim Gruwell stated in a news release.

"The deterrent effect of DUI checkpoints is a proven resource in reducing the number of persons killed and injured in alcohol- or drug-involved crashes. Research shows that crashes involving alcohol drop by an average of 20 percent when well-publicized checkpoints are conducted often enough," Gruwell stated.

Officers will "strive to delay motorists only momentarily" while they contact drivers passing through Saturday night's checkpoint, checking for signs of alcohol and/or drug impairment and proper licensing, according to Gruwell.

Funding for Saturday's checkpoint is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.