Staff Reports

Eastvale/Norco – The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department conducted two DUI/Driver’s License Checkpoints recently, one in Eastvale and one in Norco.

The Eastvale checkpoint started on Friday, August 30 at 7 p.m. and ended on Saturday, Sept. 1 at 3 a.m.  The checkpoint took place at Schleisman Road and Archibald Avenue.  There were a total of 2,500 vehicles screened. The results included one DUI arrest, 25 Field Sobriety tests conducted, and 18 drivers cited/arrested for operating a vehicle unlicensed or while suspended/revoked. 

The Norco checkpoint started on Friday, August 16 at 8 p.m. and ended on Saturday, August 17 at 3 a.m.  The checkpoint took place at Hamner Avenue and Alhambra Street.  There were a total of 961 vehicles screened. The results included one DUI arrest, 10 Field Sobriety tests conducted, and 8 drivers cited/arrested for operating a vehicle unlicensed or while suspended/revoked. 

DUI Checkpoints are usually placed in locations based on collision statistics and frequency of DUI arrests. Funding for DUI enforcement is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department reminds drivers to avoid getting behind the wheel after drinking or using drugs that affect your ability to drive safely. Driving while impaired is illegal, whether it is alcohol, prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications or marijuana. 

In 2017, 1,120 people were killed in alcohol-involved crashes on California roads, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department. The Norco Sheriff’s Station reminds drivers that “DUI Doesn’t Just Mean Booze.”  If you take prescription drugs, particularly those with a driving or operating machinery warning on the label, you might be impaired enough to get a DUI. Marijuana can also be impairing, especially in combination with alcohol or other drugs, and can result in a DUI.

Drivers caught driving impaired and charged with DUI can expect the impact of a DUI arrest to be upwards of $13,500, according to the Sheriff’s Department. This includes fines, fees, DUI classes, license suspension and other expenses not to mention possible jail time.

 “There are so many ways to get home safely without driving,” said Jurupa Valley Station’s Eastvale Traffic, Sergeant Gutierrez. “Driving while drunk or high is dangerous, irresponsible and causes too many senseless tragedies. We hope that drivers get the message that driving impaired will never be tolerated.”

The Norco Sheriff’s Station issued a statement with these tips to ensure you have a safe night of fun that doesn’t involve a DUI

• Always use a designated sober driver – a friend who is not drinking, ride-share, cab or public transportation – to get home.
• See someone who is clearly impaired try and drive? Take the keys and help them make other arrangements to find a sober way home.
• Report drunk drivers – Call 911.
• Hosting a party? Offer nonalcoholic drinks. Monitor who is drinking and how they are getting home.