MISSION VIEJO : Checkpoints Make Holiday Appearance

The first thing a drunk driver loses is judgment, say police, and over and over that point is demonstrated at sobriety checkpoints conducted during the holidays in South County.

By law, police must warn drivers of checkpoints and provide well-marked turnoffs for those who choose to avoid them. But despite the large signs and handy escape route, nine people failed a sobriety test and were arrested at a checkpoint recently in Mission Viejo.

“That just amazes me,” said Lt. George Johnson of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. “We post those signs way up ahead with plenty of time to turn off, and people still drive through while impaired.”

In December, officials are conducting checkpoints every Friday and Saturday in Mission Viejo, San Juan Capistrano, Dana Point and Laguna Niguel. This weekend, they will be in Dana Point on Friday at Coast Highway and Niguel Road and at Avery and Marguerite parkways in Mission Viejo on Saturday. Laguna Beach will hold its first checkpoint of the holiday season Friday at an undisclosed location.

But netting intoxicated motorists is not the only purpose of the checkpoint program, police officials say.

“The biggest thing is not catching drunk drivers,” said Johnson, “but to use (checkpoints) as an educational tool. And I think the public appreciates this.”

Officers manning the checkpoints often get waves and high-five signs from those passing through them, Johnson said.

“People are saying that they are not going to tolerate drinking and driving,” he added. “And they tell me they are glad someone is doing something about it.”

Laguna Beach has been conducting sobriety checks since 1986, dubbing their program “Saturday Night Alive,” police Sgt. Ray Lardie said.

In those four years, 99 people have been arrested on suspicion of drunk driving and more than 17,000 cars have been stopped, Lardie said.

Lardie said that the location of the checkpoint will remain secret until it is set up at 8 p.m. Manning the checkpoint will be two specially trained officers, who will be paid through a grant by the California Office of Traffic Safety.

“These programs reflect the commitment of the city of Laguna Beach and its police department to strictly enforce the DUI laws,” Lardie said.