None for the Road

Hoisting one toast too many on New Year’s Eve and then climbing behind the wheel is such an ingrained tradition that safety groups say the coming holiday remains one of the most dangerous times on the nation’s highways. Tragically, New Year’s and drunken driving seem to go together.

Police will be on the hunt for drunken drivers this weekend, with one of their tools the roadside sobriety checkpoint. Thanks to a California Supreme Court ruling last week, the checkpoints are likely to be around for a long time. That benefits everyone.

The court rejected an Orange County driver’s challenge to her arrest for drunken driving after she was stopped at a checkpoint. The woman argued that because police did not publicize the checkpoint’s location, the stop violated the Fourth Amendment prohibition against unreasonable searches and seizures.

Six years ago the state high court allowed police to stop drivers and check for signs of intoxication even if officers didn’t suspect wrongdoing, as is typically required for other traffic stops. The justices said then that the public’s need to deter drunk drivers outweighed any issue of motorists’ rights. The ruling cleared the way for roadblocks, and the court provided sensible guidelines for their use.

Those guidelines encouraged police to publicize the location of checkpoints, mark them clearly and stop cars briefly. So long as every driver is stopped, or, say, every fourth driver, there is no problem. Police may not single out members of any one group or individuals dressed in a certain way.

In the latest case, the judges reiterated that the advance-publicity guideline was a suggestion, not a requirement. Still, publicizing the location of roadblocks is a good idea, and several police departments wisely have said they plan to continue announcing the sites in advance.

Publicizing checkpoints can serve as one more reminder to drivers of the need for sobriety behind the wheel.

Tougher laws, lowering the permissible blood-alcohol level when operating a motor vehicle and widespread educational campaigns have helped cut down on fatalities. Last year, for example, 13% fewer people were killed in alcohol-related collisions in California than in 1991. Police checkpoints have also helped. The roadblocks, sanctioned again by the courts, will be a valuable tool this weekend.