Massachusetts Implements Sobriety Checkpoints Over the Holidays

January 01, 2013

According to Massachusetts State Police, sobriety checkpoints are extremely effective at combating drunk driving. Sobriety checkpoints are set up by law enforcement in public places. Officers create roadblocks to detain motorists in order to determine whether the drivers are intoxicated.

Approximately 70 to 80 sobriety checkpoints are set up each year in the state, according to Massachusetts State Police. The checkpoints are used in combination with other patrolling techniques.

Authorities analyze drunk driving data to determine where enhanced enforcement should be positioned. Subsequently, police set up checkpoints to help screen out all impaired motorists in the most compromised areas.

The Taunton Daily Report indicates that police plan to set up 15 sobriety checkpoints in Southeastern Massachusetts, including Cape Cod and the Islands.

Procedure: sobriety checkpoints

However, all of these sobriety stations will have to follow strict procedures, in accordance with the law.

The law mandates that checkpoints must be publicized in advance. Furthermore, a trooper must greet every car that approaches a station.

The process involves a brief conversation between a passing motorist and a member of law enforcement. If the greeter determines that there is reason for further examination of the driver, the driver will proceed to a marked area.

At that point, troopers engage in greater observation of the motorist. If probable cause exists that suggests that the motorist may be driving under the influence, the trooper may ask the driver to submit to a field sobriety test.

If troopers determine that the driver is impaired, the driver will be taken to the checkpoint command post (a bus where arrestees are booked, processed and eventually transported to a police station).

Generally, sobriety checkpoints are set up on weekend nights or holidays in areas with high rates of drunk driving arrests and a high volume of traffic.

With the holiday season among us, motorists can guarantee that sobriety checkpoints and police patrols will be up and running around the state of Massachusetts. It is probably best to drink responsibly.

Nevertheless, if you are captured by one of these evaluation systems, remember that you do have rights. Sobriety checkpoints must follow the aforementioned rules under the law. If a trooper violates your criminal justice protections, this could comprise a case against you.

If you are facing charges for drunk driving, you should speak with a knowledgeable criminal law attorney today. A lawyer can help you assess your case.

Article provided by LoConto, Burke & Madaio, P.C.
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