Good Question: Why do police announce when they are doing sobriety checkpoints?

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) - If you have ever seen WKYT publicize a checkpoint by state police, you may have the same question as one of our viewers.

For today’s Good Question, Mariesa asks, Why does law enforcement post information of when they are doing sobriety checkpoints? Wouldn’t they catch more offenders if it wasn’t announced?

Well, they might, but the main goal of publicizing checkpoints is to keep people from driving impaired in the first place.

Sgt. Matt Sudduth with Kentucky State Police told me they publicize those checkpoints to promote safe driving habits.

“The intent of a traffic safety checkpoint is to provide for a high visibility, public safety service, focusing on operator impairment, vehicular equipment deficiencies (confirming appropriate registration and insurance of vehicles) and the valid licensing of drivers,” said Sgt. Sudduth. “Other violations of law and/or other public safety issues that arise will also be addressed.”

So, they may catch drunk drivers in checkpoints, but the hope is people won’t drive drunk, to begin with.

If you have a Good Question you’d like us to try to answer, send it to goodquestion@wkyt.com.

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