DUI Roadblocks set up by police in Massachusetts and throughout the country are not shown to effectively deter drunk driving. At a recent motion hearing challenging the legality of a roadblock, the officer in charge of the roadblock acknowledged to me that he believes putting more officers on the street is a better way to prevent drunk driving than a roadblock or sobriety checkpoint.
Sarah Longwell of the News-Reader in Springfield, Missouri recently wrote an article addressing whether roadblocks effectively deter drunk driving. Longwell's study found that
States that conduct DUI roadblocks do not have a lower rate of DUI fatalities than States that do not permit roadblocks under their State Constitution. Longwell comments that checkpoints have operated all night without making a DUI arrest and concludes that pressure from interest groups like Mothers Against Drunk Driving will ensure that sobriety checkpoints continue.
Drunk Driving statistics in Massachusetts are consistent with Longwell's findings. In a roadblock case I recently challenged, the data presented by the police in support of the roadblock failed show that it was effective. One method to challenge a Massachusetts OUI arrest at a roadblock is to demonstrate that the area where the roadblock was set up did not have a high rate of accidents or DUI arrests.
Massachusetts OUI roadblocks will continue and anyone stopped at a roadblock should hire an experienced OUI lawyer in Massachusetts. These cases are often very defensible, difficult for the Commonwealth to prove and often result in not guilty verdicts after trial. Call 508-455-4755 or 781-686-5924 for a free consultation. Most calls are answered personally by Attorney DelSignore.
