The Tiburon Police Department will stop drivers at a sobriety checkpoint Friday, Sept. 18, from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m.

The department has not disclosed the exact location. It selects checkpoint sites based on data showing where impaired-driving crashes have occurred, according to a town alert posted Sept. 16.

"Impaired drivers put others on the road at significant risk," Captain Jarrod Yee said. "Any prevention measures that reduce the number of impaired drivers on our roads significantly improve traffic safety."

$13,500 price tag

A first-time DUI charge carries an average of $13,500 in fines and penalties, plus a suspended license, according to the department. That figure does not include costs like higher insurance premiums or legal fees.

The checkpoint is the second grant-funded enforcement operation Tiburon police have run this summer. The department conducted a DUI patrol on June 19 under the same program, running the same 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. window. In a June announcement for that patrol, Yee called impaired driving "preventable" and urged anyone who has been drinking or using drugs to find a sober driver or alternate transportation.

Four DUI arrests in July

The department's July statistics show four DUI arrests, three traffic collisions and 30 traffic citations that month. DUI arrests accounted for four of the department's five total arrests that month, underscoring how large a share of police activity impaired driving represents in the small town.

Both the September checkpoint and the June patrol are funded by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The state grant program pays for local departments to run dedicated DUI enforcement operations beyond their routine patrols.

Not just alcohol

The department also warned that impairment extends beyond alcohol. Some prescription medications and over-the-counter drugs can affect driving ability. Driving under the influence of marijuana remains illegal in California, even though recreational and medicinal use is legal.

Residents with questions can contact Captain Yee at (415) 789-2801.