Sobriety checkpoint set for Saturday night in south Sacramento

The Sacramento Police Department will conduct a sobriety and driver's license checkpoint Saturday night at Franklin Boulevard and Florin Road.

Beginning at 8 p.m. and continuing for five to seven hours, motorists traveling through the intersection will be contacted by uniformed officers who will check for people driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. They also will check to make sure all drivers have a valid driver's license.

The purpose of the checkpoint is to promote public safety, increase awareness of the dangers associated with drinking and driving, and serve as a deterrent to potential impaired and unlicensed drivers.

On average, one alcohol impaired driving-related fatality occurs every 51 minutes in the Untied States, according to a Police Department news release. Research, however, has shown that high-visibility enforcement efforts like the "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" campaign reduce alcohol-impaired driving fatalities by as much as 20 percent.

People are encouraged to report drunken drivers by calling 911.

Funding for the program is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.