The Hollister-Gilroy office of the California Highway Patrol (CHP) is planning a Saint Patrick’s Day checkpoint. The CHP will conduct a sobriety/driver license checkpoint on Sunday, March 17, within an unincorporated area of south Santa Clara County. CHP officers who are trained in the detection of alcohol and drug impaired drivers will staff the sobriety checkpoint. Hollister Police Department has also announced it will be having a checkpoint in Hollister City limits on St. Patrick’s Day between 5:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.

A CHP Drug Recognition Expert, certified by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), will be on site to provide assessments of any drivers suspected of drug use.

Officers will have use of preliminary alcohol screening devices to accurately analyze breath samples. Drivers passing through the checkpoint will be checked for impairment and arrested if determined to be under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. The checkpoint will send a clear message to the community that the CHP will not tolerate impaired driving and will promote awareness of the dangers of driving under the influence.

The sobriety checkpoint was funded through a grant known as Reduce Alcohol Impaired Driving (RAID) and is made possible through the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.