By Lookout Staff

March 9, 2020 -- In an effort to curb the number of motorists who drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs, Santa Monica traffic officers will conduct a DUI Checkpoint Friday from 7 p.m. to 3 a.m. at an undisclosed location.

The checkpoint is part of an effort by the Office of Traffic Safety to educate drivers that “DUI Doesn’t Just Mean Booze.”

"If you take prescription drugs, particularly those with a driving or operating machinery warning on the label, you might be impaired enough to get a DUI," police officials said.

"Marijuana can also be impairing, especially in combination with alcohol or other drugs, and can result in a DUI."

Driving while under he influence of illegal or prescription drugs has become an increasingly serious problem in California.

A study of active California drivers found that 14 percent tested positive for drugs that may impair driving, double the 7.3 percent that tested positive for alcohol.

Studies have shown that about 30 percent of drivers in fatal crashes in California had one or more drugs in their systems.

"Drivers caught driving impaired can expect the impact of a DUI arrest to include jail time, fines, fees, DUI classes, license suspensions and other expenses," officials said.

Funding for this checkpoint comes from a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. to report a drunk driver call 9-1-1.