Sobriety Checkpoints Focus of St. Louis County, State Police Aug. 17

Drive sober or get pulled over. That's the message St. Louis County and other Missouri law enforcement agencies are passing along to motorists.

From Aug. 17 through Sept. 3, those agencies will be cracking down on impaired drivers with statewide sobriety checkpoints and DWI saturation patrols.

According to a news release from the , the sobering fact is that impaired driving contributes to nearly 30 percent of all Missouri traffic fatalities. The releases stated that in 2011, 220 people were killed and 902 seriously injured in crashes involving an impaired driver.

Consequences of drunk driving include jail time, loss of their driver licenses, or being sentenced to use ignition interlocks. Insurance rates go up. Other financial hits include attorney fees, court costs, lost time at work and the potential loss of job or job prospects. When family, friends and co-workers find out, violators can also face tremendous personal embarrassment and humiliation. 

The St. Louis County Police Highway Safety Unit and officers from the Division of Patrol also will be conducting sobriety checkpoints, according to a news release from the department. Specially trained officers will be checking motorists in an effort to reduce the number of intoxicated drivers on our streets and highways. Inconvenience to motorists will be minimal.

The officers participating in the enforcement have had additional training in the recognition of motorists who have had too much to drink or are under the influence of illegal drugs, according to the county's release. Officers also will issue citations for seat belt and other violations.

"Removing intoxicated drivers from our roadways is a high priority for the ," said Chief Tim Fitch in the release. "The use of checkpoints has been proven to be an effective method to accomplish this goal."