Ed. note — To forestall the inevitable flood of outraged comments, or at least to stem their tide somewhat: It’s a curious fact of California law that law enforcement agencies must announce DUI checkpoints in advance. See, for example, here.

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Press release from the California Highway Patrol:

The California Highway Patrol (CHP), Humboldt Area, will conduct a driving under the influence (DUI) and driver license safety checkpoint on December 30, 2023, somewhere within the unincorporated area of Humboldt County.

Captain Larry Depee stated, “The goal of conducting a sobriety and driver license checkpoint is to send a clear message that driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or while unlicensed, is unacceptable.”

The goal of the CHP is to ensure the safe passage of each and every motorist by targeting roads where there is a high frequency of intoxicated or unlicensed drivers. A sobriety / driver license checkpoint is a proven effective tool for achieving this goal and is designed to augment existing patrol operations.

Captain Depee emphasized, “Too many lives are lost to impaired and unlicensed drivers throughout the State of California. This checkpoint will be staffed by officers trained in the detection of alcohol and/or drug-impaired drivers. Those officers will be evaluating drivers as they come through the checkpoint to assess their sobriety and check for a valid driver license.”

Funding for this program was provided from the statewide “Reducing Impairment Statewide” federal grant.