San Diego

Sobriety checkpoints will be set up at a dozen spots in San Diego tonight, authorities said.

Officers will begin stopping cars at 9 p.m. for a conversation that should last no more than 30 seconds, said police spokesman Bill Robinson.

Drivers who appear intoxicated will be asked to take a field sobriety test, he said. All drivers will be handed a pamphlet describing drunk-driving laws and risks.

For the first time, the checkpoints are being jointly sponsored with the California Highway Patrol, Robinson said.

Police will announce the checkpoint locations at 7 p.m. today, Robinson said. The checkpoints will be operated until 2 or 3 the next morning, “depending on how busy it is,” he said.