The Oklahoma Highway Patrol ENDUI team will partner with multiple agencies across Oklahoma to conduct sobriety checkpoints and high-visibility patrols.
A checkpoint is scheduled in Oklahoma County on Friday, July 2 from 11:00 p.m. until 1:00 a.m. Saturday. Oklahoma Highway Patrol Troopers will be joined by Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Deputies, and officers from the Choctaw and Harrah Police Departments.
Another checkpoint is scheduled on July 3 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in Norman. These activities are supported by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office, and the Norman Police Department.
Law enforcement across Oklahoma will be out in force this Independence Day weekend making sure everyone is as safe as possible. During the 2020 Independence Day holiday period, five people were killed on Oklahoma roadways. Of the five people killed, four of them were in alcohol and/or drug-related crashes.
Many times, questions are raised about why checkpoints are announced to the public and why they only last a few hours. People think that by announcing the checkpoints, impaired drivers will make the choice to go around the area of the checkpoint to avoid detection. The Oklahoma Highway Safety Office and the ENDUI Oklahoma campaign think differently.
By announcing the location and times of the checkpoints, a perception of risk is created. People who may routinely drive impaired, or who are doing so for the first time, may think twice about that decision if they know that extra enforcement is in the area. This simple choice could save countless lives of drivers in Oklahoma, which is the focus of these events.
A DUI conviction can cost a driver up to $10,000 in Oklahoma and has serious repercussions for the person. Not only is it a financial risk to yourself, you could also be seriously injured or killed in a crash. Worse yet, an impaired driver has the potential to injure and kill innocent others.
In 2019, 338 people were killed in drug and/or alcohol-related crashes. None of these crashes were accidents; every death could have been prevented if the impaired driver had made the smart choice not to drive while under the influence.
Checkpoints will not be the only law enforcement activities happening focused on impaired drivers. Before, during, and after each checkpoint, additional law enforcement personnel are out in force looking for impaired drivers. These officers, deputies, and troopers are in the areas around the checkpoint, and across the jurisdictions looking for impaired drivers.
Everyone is highly encouraged to find a safe ride by calling a sober driver, using a cab, Uber, Lyft or any other ride-share service. Better yet, have a designated driver. Have fun and enjoy life, but do not, under any circumstances, drive while impaired by alcohol or any other substance. The cost is too high. Let’s ENDUI.
The media is invited to attend these checkpoints to help us raise awareness about the impaired driving problem in Oklahoma. Interviews with members of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol will be available. To coordinate times, locations, and interviews, please email Cody.McDonell@dps.ok.gov.
The ENDUI enforcement team coordinates multi-jurisdictional events on a regular basis, including sobriety checkpoints and saturation patrols. These efforts are needed to impact Oklahoma’s impaired driving problem across the state. The locations of these activities are driven by data from the Oklahoma Highway Safety Office and by local request.
For a preliminary look at Independence Day 2020 crash statistics, click here.
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