The Costa Mesa Police Department conducts a DUI/drivers license checkpoint from 8 tonight through 2:30 a.m. Saturday.
The location has not been announced, but they are generally set up where there have been boozy/druggie driving incidents in the past.
The aim is deterrent, with CMPD pointing to research that apparently shows crashes involving alcohol drop by an average of 20 percent when well-publicized checkpoints are conducted often enough.
Across the border in Newport Beach, police hold “a specialized Motorcycle Safety Enforcement Operation” today.
“Extra officers will be on duty patrolling areas that are frequented by motorcyclists and where recent traffic collisions have occurred, in an effort to reduce injuries,” reads an NBPD advisory. “Education and enforcement will be targeted at drivers and motorcycle riders alike. The officers will be focused on specific offenses including driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, speeding, driving on a suspended or revoked license, violations of motorcycle license endorsement, and any other dangerous activities.”
These safety tips for motorcycle riders are being passed along:
* See and be seen
· Use your lane position to increase visibility; change lanes only when there is ample room
· Match your speed to surrounding traffic
· Always wear a DOT-compliant helmet and brightly-colored protective clothing
· Ride with lights on, even during daylight hours
And for drivers:
* Share the road
· Look twice for motorcyclists, especially when entering the roadway, turning, or changing lanes
· Remember that motorcyclists are allowed in HOV lanes, unless prohibited by signage
Funding for the Costa Mesa and Newport Beach operations come from separate California Office of Traffic and Safety grants, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
OC Weekly Editor-in-Chief Matt Coker has been engaging, enraging and entertaining readers of newspapers, magazines and websites for decades. He spent the first 13 years of his career in journalism at daily newspapers before “graduating” to OC Weekly in 1995 as the alternative newsweekly’s first calendar editor.