Every year thousands of drivers and passengers are injured or killed in car accidents caused by drinking and driving. Each year during the holiday season law enforcement officials remind the public about the dangers caused by the combination of alcohol and driving, but one restaurant trade group is calling for an end to one tactic that police departments across the country use to keep the roads safe, sobriety checkpoints.

The American Beverage Institute, an organization that represents 8,000 restaurants, is asking police departments to stop the use of sobriety checkpoints. The organization argues that the tactic is ineffective because police officers make three DUI arrests out of every 1,000 drivers stopped. The American Beverage Institute believes that police departments should be employing the use of another tactic called a roving patrol. A roving patrol is when a police car cruises the streets looking for abnormal driving.

Police officials disagree with the American Beverage Institute on the effectiveness of sobriety checkpoints. Police believe that sobriety checkpoints are a good educational tool and a tool of deterrence. The restaurant organization believes that sobriety checkpoints harass drivers who are responsible and who merely drink moderately before driving. The organization also believes that checkpoints defeat themselves because if drivers are aware that sobriety checkpoints are being used then drivers will not even have one drink. The American Beverage Institute believes that roving patrols would be a better tool to stop hardcore drunken drivers. Many police departments use a combination of both.

One police chief believes that sobriety checkpoints and roving patrols are best used together. Sobriety checkpoints are most effective on major roadways and roving patrols are implemented efficiently on side streets.

Source: The Star-Ledger, "Beverage Trade Group Calls for End to Police DUI Checkpoints," Ben Horowitz, 12/29/10