Cypress Car Accidents Go Down When DUI Checkpoints Go Up

A number of Cypress car accident lawyers will admit that car collisions are a regular occurrence in this community of nearly 50,000 people. A family-oriented community, Cypress in Orange County, California is determined to reduce car collisions within its borders.

Between 2001 and 2003, four fatal car accidents occurred in Cypress, according to reports gathered by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. At 0.9 fatal car crashes per 10,000 people, this was considerably lower than the national norm. In 2006, the California Highway Patrol's Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS) showed that four people died and 172 were personally injured in Cypress car crashes. DUI crashes caused one death and 16 injuries. A total of 20 bicyclists and 12 pedestrians were injured in traffic accidents. Motorcycle collisions killed one and injured nine. In 2007, four car accidents resulted in as many fatalities. Cypress car accident lawyers will tell you, that Cypress is a city that has gotten tough with drunk drivers.

Cypress frequently sets up DUI and Driver's License Checkpoints at various accident-prone intersections and streets. The Cypress Police Department conducted a DUI/Drivers License checkpoint on Saturday, February 28, 2009, from 8:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m. at Lincoln west of Valley View. Many vehicles were checked and drivers who were under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs were placed under arrest.

One Friday night, more than 1,300 drivers were herded through a sobriety checkpoint on Valley View Boulevard at Phyllis Drive. For six hours, police stood on the traffic median and talked to drivers, and looked in car windows for drugs, booze and guns. They're goal was to impart a simple message--Drunk Driving, Over the Limit, Under Arrest. Assisting the officers were volunteers from MADD, including Haze Saliture, whose 16-year-old daughter was killed by a drunk driver in 1994. Cypress car crash lawyers will tell you that groups like MADD have raised much needed public awareness of drunk driving dangers.

The DUI checkpoint paid off. That Friday, two people were arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence. One person was arrested on suspicion of drug possession. Two more were arrested on warrants. Nine drivers were cited for driving without a license and one was cited for driving on a suspended license. A total of 11 vehicles were impounded.

DUI checkpoints area a valuable tool for removing impaired drivers from city streets. Besides issuing citations and making DUI arrests, sobriety checkpoints help educate the public on the dangers of dunk driving. They also encourage the use of sober designated drivers. Most any Cypress car collision lawyer will acknowledge that sobriety checkpoints make streets safer.