‘Please be responsible’: DUI checkpoint coming to Clovis this weekend, police say

CLOVIS, Calif. ( KSEE/KGPE ) – A DUI checkpoint will be set up in Clovis this weekend in a location with historically high numbers of DUI crashes and arrests, police say.

Officers say they will be checking drivers from 8 p.m. on Friday until 1 a.m. on Saturday.

According to police, the primary purpose of DUI checkpoints is not to make arrests but to promote public safety and deter drivers from driving impaired.

“The safety of our community is and always will be our mission,” Corporal Bradford said. “We are looking for impaired drivers because driving under the influence is dangerous and puts others on the road at risk. Please be responsible, especially these last days of summer and as our kids are going back to school.”

Clovis Police say they want to remind the public that driving under the influence does not only mean driving under the influence of alcohol.

Prescription and over-the-counter medicines labeled with warnings against “operating heavy machinery” may interfere with driving and could result in a DUI. Although marijuana is legal, drivers caught with THC in their system can also be issued a DUI.

Police warn that first-time DUI offenders face possible license suspension and an average of $13,500 in fines and penalties.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to YourCentralValley.com | KSEE24 and CBS47.