Martinsburg residents planning on going out to dinner or to a bar where they’ll consume a couple of drinks might want to invest a little more time in finding a designated driver or alternative ride home this weekend. Why? The West Virginia State Police have scheduled a sobriety checkpoint that is planned to start at 8 p.m. on Friday, April 11 and run until 2 a.m. on Saturday, April 12.
Officers will be parked at the intersection of U.S. 11 and Evans Run Drive where the checkpoint is currently set to take place. Funding for this extra enforcement action will be provided by the Commission on Drunk Driving Prevention.
The Herald-Mail Media reported that the West Virginia State Police confirmed that this sobriety checkpoint is intended to be an educational tool for residents and other drivers that pass through the area.
Education and awareness over the impact of driving while impaired may indeed be the department’s primary concern, but let’s not pretend that a big focus won’t also be placed on charging the drivers that officers believe have had too much to drink. Officers also noted that they will be keeping an eye on other traffic violations committed by drivers.
Drivers that are snared up in this checkpoint or are charged as a result of a routine traffic stop should consult with a Martinsburg DUI attorney. Blowing a .08 or higher on a Breathalyzer test might seem like a futile situation, but you’d be surprised at all the factors in play in these types of cases that could help minimize the consequences.
Source: Herald-Mail Media, “West Virginia State Police to conduct sobriety checkpoint near Martinsburg,” April 9, 2014