Anonymous
By the California Highway Patrol
The California Highway Patrol (CHP) will conduct a sobriety/driver license checkpoint on Friday, March 31, 2023, near Isla Vista in the unincorporated area of Santa Barbara County. Motorists approaching the checkpoint will see informational signs advising them that a sobriety checkpoint is ahead. Once diverted into the lane, motorists will be detained only a few moments while an officer explains the purpose of the checkpoint and checks their driver license.
CHP sobriety checkpoints are conducted in accordance with the guidelines for checkpoint operations outlined in the California Supreme Court decision, Ingersoll vs. Palmer.
Traffic volume permitting, all vehicles will be checked. If traffic volume becomes too heavy, vehicles to be checked will be selected by a pre-set standard (such as every 3rd, 5th, or 10th vehicle) to assure objectivity.
Placing checkpoints on roads identified with driving under the influence problems and detaining drivers for a very limited time helps to assure that the CHP conforms to the guidelines. Checkpoints tend to reduce the number of impaired drivers on the road, even though arrest totals do not rise dramatically. A major value of checkpoints is their psychological influence. The news media is advised well in advance whenever a checkpoint is planned, since extensive publicity is also viewed as a legal safeguard.
The checkpoint will be operated from 9:15 p.m. to 3:15 a.m. The CHP will generate an e-mail and/or fax notification detailing the location of the checkpoint approximately two hours prior to the start.
