The California Highway Patrol’s Newhall area office will be conducting a sobriety checkpoint on Saturday, Dec. 29, at an undisclosed location in the unincorporated Santa Clarita Valley. The checkpoint will begin at six in the evening and conclude at approximately 2:30 am the following morning.

“The goal of the D.U.I. Checkpoint is to create awareness among the motoring public, to deter people from driving under the influence and to keep the streets safe for all,” said C.H.P. Public Information Officer John Lutz.

Motorists approaching the checkpoint will see informational signs advising them of a sobriety checkpoint ahead. Once diverted into the lane, motorists will be detained only momentarily while an officer explains the purpose of the checkpoint.

“Although checkpoints tend to reduce the number of drinking drivers on the road, the C.H.P. will apprehend D.U.I. drivers who fail to heed our warnings,” Officer Lutz said adding, “Even though arrest totals do not rise dramatically, the psychological influence a checkpoint has on the motoring public is invaluable.”

Sobriety checkpoints are conducted in accordance to the guidelines for checkpoint operations outlined in the Supreme Court decision, Ingersol 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 5th or 10th vehicle, in order to assure objectivity.