Solon Police Plan Drunk Driving Checkpoint Saturday Night

The t will conduct a drunk driving checkpoint Saturday night on Aurora Road.

The checkpoint coincides with the new national "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" campaign (you probably have seen the commercials) and the Labor Day weekend, said Lt. Bruce Felton, a police spokesman.

From 2008 to 2010, there were 3,828 alcohol-related crashes in Cuyahoga County resulting in 80 deaths.  There were 65 alcohol-related crashes Solon, killing one person, in that time period.

The Solon Police Department uses both sobriety checkpoints and saturation patrols to stamp out drunk driving. 

At checkpoints, officers stop vehicles in a predetermined sequence (such as every third car) to evaluate drivers for indications of alcohol or drug impairment. 

Saturation patrols involve increased enforcement targeting a specific geographic area to identify and arrest impaired drivers, with officers looking for signs of impaired driving such as excessive speeding, weaving, or driving left of center. 

"Highly visible and well-publicized checkpoints are an important part of the equation because they increase the perceived risk of arrest and make people think twice about drinking and driving," said Sgt. Jamey Hofmann.

"We want the public to know where we are, and we want those who read about the checkpoint to tell everyone they know that we’re cracking down on impaired driving in the city because we want everyone on our roadways to be safe."

 If you do drink, police say use a designated driver, call a cab or call a family member.

Solon Police last conducted a checkpoint during Memorial Day weekend, .