Two Friday night sobriety checkpoints in NE Ohio

(WJW) -The Ohio State Highway Patrol has announced plans for at least two sobriety checkpoints in Northeast Ohio on Friday night.

According to press releases issued Thursday morning, the checkpoints will take place the evening of Friday, July 12, 2024 in Ashland and Medina Counties.

Press releases issued early Friday morning revealed more precise locations and timings.

According to officials, the Ashland County checkpoint will be held from 8 p.m. until 10 p.m. on Claremont Avenue.

The Medina County checkpoint will be held from 9 p.m. Friday until 1 a.m. on Saturday along US 42 in conjunction with the Brunswick City Police Department.

In 1990, the Supreme Court upheld the use of sobriety checkpoints as long as they meet certain guidelines which include public notification.

Officials note that motorists can also expect to see nearby “saturation patrols” to aggressively combat impaired driver-related crashes.

“Based on provisional data, there were 11,324 OVI-related crashes in which 725 people were killed last year in Ohio,” said Lieutenant Mark Neff, commander of the Medina Post. “State troopers make on average 25,000 OVI arrests each year in an attempt to combat these dangerous drivers. OVI checkpoints are designed to not only deter impaired driving but to proactively remove these dangerous drivers from our roadways.”

You can learn more about the legality of checkpoints in Ohio in the video player above.

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