On Saturday, Arlington police will send the message that “buzzed driving is drunk driving.”
Together with the Arlington County Sheriff’s Office and Virginia State Police, Arlington Police will set up a DUI checkpoint at an undisclosed location in the county. All cars passing through the checkpoint will be stopped, and drivers suspected of operating a vehicle while intoxicated will be asked to pull to the side to perform further sobriety testing.
In addition to the checkpoint, police say they will be adding extra DUI saturation patrols for the remainder of the holiday season.
In Virginia, the maximum penalty for a first DUI conviction is 12 months in jail, a $2,500 fine and a 12-month suspension of driving privileges.