University Police arrested five male drunk drivers Friday night at a Driving Under the Influence roadblock on Route 1 between the main campus gate and Ritchie Coliseum.
The roadblock, lit by the flashing blue and red lights of a police truck and a host of neon signs, stopped more than 2,000 vehicles throughout the course of the night, University Police Sgt. Jeffrey Bunge said.
At the last DUI checkpoint in August, police made 11 arrests. University Police spokeswoman Maj. Cathy Atwell said the number of arrests were fewer than usual, as the average has normally been 10 to 15.
“When we first started doing them a few years ago, we had as many as 30 or more,” she said. “Over the years, the [average] number has decreased to 10 to 15.”
Between 10:20 p.m. and 3 a.m., each vehicle that drove by was stopped for an average of twenty seconds while one of the nine officers observed the driver for signs of intoxication. Police directed drivers suspected of being under the influence of alcohol or drugs into the nearby Lot K*2 so an officer could test for sobriety.
Each driver who was pulled over needed to perform three tests: follow a pencil with his or her eyes, stand on one leg while counting and walk in a straight line.
Drivers could also take a preliminary breath test. Bunge said the breath test was given if the driver failed the other tests because of nervousness in front of the police and not because he or she was drunk.
Bunge said most people pulled over were not university students, but he was appalled at those who were.
“It amazes me that we make arrests for people who live in dorms right here on South Hill, who choose to drive drunk rather than walk to the bars,” Bunge said.
A number of bright signs on Route 1 warned drivers of the checkpoint, including a large electronic message board. Bunge said he was surprised these signs didn’t deter the drunk drivers who were caught.
Bunge said the police try to do three or four DUI checkpoints a year, usually when the weather is good. They usually set up the checkpoint in a high traffic area on a Friday or Saturday night to catch the maximum number of drunk drivers.
Police set up DUI checkpoints primarily for getting drunk drivers off the road, Bunge said. The checkpoints, which are not announced ahead of time, also act as a deterrent for bar patrons, encouraging those who plan to drive to drink less or not at all.
“Most people are pleased we’re out here,” Bunge said. “After all, we’re trying to protect them and their safety by arresting impaired drivers.”
When the arrested drivers were escorted to police headquarters, they took a breath test to determine their alcohol content. Drivers with a .07 alcohol content or above are labeled as “driving under the influence” and are subject to a penalty of up to 60 days in jail and up to $500 in fines. Drivers with a .08 or higher alcohol content are labeled as “driving while impaired” and are subject to a penalty of up to one year in jail and up to $1000 in fines. However, many first-time offenders are simply put on probation.
Bunge said offenders put on probation often attend victim-impact seminars, where they listen to “horror stories” told by families of victims of drunk driving accidents.
“The hope is that someone who has driven drunk will take to heart that that time they didn’t kill somebody,” he said.
