One person was taken into custody on suspicion of drunk driving Friday night at a DUI/Driver’s License checkpoint conducted by the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station.

From 6 p.m. Friday night to 2 a.m. Saturday morning, deputies screened motorists traveling Whites Canyon Road near Delight Street in Canyon Country. The checkpoint was part of the city’s campaign to make the streets safer and part of a series of safety outreach events implemented by the sheriff’s department.

According to Sgt. Richard Cohen of the SCV Station’s Traffic Bureau, DUI checkpoints, along with regularly scheduled high visibility DUI enforcement, serve as a proven deterrent with the goal of removing alcohol- and drug-impaired drivers and heightening awareness of the dangers of driving under the influence.

During the checkpoint, 1,009 vehicles were screened, one DUI/alcohol involved suspect was arrested and booked at the Santa Clarita Valley station; five unlicensed and/or suspended/revoked drivers were arrested and released in the field with the promise to appear in court and 10 citations were issued.

“Over the course of the past five years, DUI collisions have claimed 5 lives and resulted in 228 injuries crashes harming 323 of our friends and neighbors,” said Cohen. “If everyone planned ahead for a sober non-drinking designated drivers these numbers could be lowered to zero.”

Those arrested and convicted for DUI can expect jail time, vehicle storage or impound fees, license suspension, fines, fees, DUI classes, insurance rates will increase and other expenses that can push the cost of an arrest to over $10,000; not to mention the embarrassment they’ll face around family, friends and co-workers.

The Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station’s next DUI/Driver’s License Checkpoint is tentatively set for March 23 at an undisclosed location within the city limits.

Please keep our streets and highways safer every day of the week: Report Drunk Drivers – Call 911! Funding for this and other DUI operations are from a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.