DUI Checkpoints Planned For Lee's Summit This Weekend

Drunken driving-related accidents have been increasing in the Kansas City area lately, and police are taking measures to make the roads around the metro safer. One part of this plan is to increase sobriety checkpoints, which will occur in Lee’s Summit this weekend.

The Lee’s Summit Police Department’s traffic safety unity will conduct sobriety checkpoints and patrols this weekend, most likely in areas where DUI arrests and other alcohol-related incidents have occurred recently.

The police department has stated that its goal is to identify drivers who are under the influence of drugs or alcohol and remove them before an accident occurs. Several Kansas City residents have lost their lives in accidents that occurred in the early morning hours of a weekend night over the past couple of weeks, which has forced police in the Kansas City area to crack down.

The lesson, as always, is to grab a ride with a friend or take a cab if you have been out drinking. A little inconvenience or a few dollars is a much better alternative to losing your license, paying hundreds in fines or going to prison.

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Kansas City Police Announce Sobriety Checkpoints For This Weekend

Checkpoints Kansas City - DUI - Sept 24th 25th

When going out on the town this weekend, make sure you save some cash for a cab or strap on some comfortable walking shoes. Driving may be a bad idea, given that the Kansas City Police Department has announced it will be conducting several sobriety checkpoints all weekend long in the Kansas City metro area.

The police are not releasing the times and locations of the checkpoints, however given that 80% of Kansas City roads are closed as usual due to construction, it may be hard to avoid the checkpoints when entering and leaving the downtown area. The police did mention that the checkpoints will occur at areas known for having DUI related crashes or arrests. Signs will be placed in advance of the checkpoints.

Kansas City Police have been able to make several arrests every time checkpoints are set up, however drunken driving arrests have decreased since the police started announcing the sobriety checkpoints in advance. Hopefully this warning scares more people into finding an alternative way home when they have been drinking.

Drunk Driving Arrests down in Kansas City

Arrests for driving under the influence are down in the latest installment of a checkpoint in the Kansas City area. A checkpoint set up last night at 9700 Metcalf in Overland Park only yielded eight arrests out of over 500 cars that were stopped.

These numbers are a positive sign in contrast to the arrest amounts from previous checkpoints in the Kansas City area. The lower number of drivers being arrested and removed from the road suggests that more people are refraining from driving home after a night out at the bars.

The lower arrest rate may be due to a more suburban location for the checkpoint or simply due to chance; however, the checkpoints, and prior notice of them, may be beginning to work around Kansas City. Further numbers may suggest as to this is a one-time occurrence or if drunk-driving around Kansas City is getting better.

DUI Checkpoints after Chiefs Games

Heading southbound on I-435 after a KC Chiefs game is quite an experience. The cars move in and out of lanes with sloppy, sudden movements - and most everyone is going about 15 mph under the speed limit. Basically, everyone is wasted - and driving. Although I've never seen any serious wrecks, or have really never heard about any serious problems with the post-game drunken parade - it seemed curious that there is never a DUI checkpoint set up by Kansas City Police.

After speaking to a few Kansas City residents about this phenomenon, we told that the KCPD attempted a DUI checkpoint after a Chiefs game a couple of seasons ago. The KCPD set up a DUI checkpoint on Southbound 435 and immediately backed up traffic on the major highway for almost 17 miles! Just imagine being a trucker heading to your destination and having to sit through 17 miles of parking lot gridlock. The results of the DUI checkpoint were astounding. After stopping over 4000 vehicles, only 7 arrests were made.

The results of the KCPD's DUI checkpoint after a Chiefs game were so embarrassing and unsuccessful that they have not conducted one since.

Consider Total Cost When Considering the Kansas City Light Rail

I was perusing some news articles this morning when I read that Kansas City's finest will be hosting some sobriety checkpoints over the weekend. While they obviously will not release the location, they did say that they are to be held in areas known to have rates of DUI-related accidents and arrests. It got me to thinking. I wonder how much it costs to have enough police officers, cars, and equipment on site from 10:00 P.M. to the wee hours of the morning in order to catch drunk drivers. My guess, is it is quite a bit. I wonder how many DUI's could be avoided if Kansas City provided sufficient public transportation.

I don't believe a vast majority of those that have been arrested for DUI wanted to be driving under the influence. I just don't think many of them have much of a choice. Yeah. I know. They could call a cab. The problem is that Kansas City is very spread out as metropolitan areas go. It can cost up to $60.00 or more to take a cab a mere 10 miles in this city. That is, of course, assuming you can find one that will say they will come to get you and then actually show up within 2 hours.

So what is the alternative to the cost of taxi cabs, DUI checkpoints, lawyer's fees, jailing costs, and most importantly, fatalities that could easily be avoided. It's easy. The Light Rail. In 2008, the ever educated voters in the Kansas City metro defeated a proposal to fund the inaugural link of the Light Rail in Kansas City. For most, I believe they didn't want their taxes raised. Others don't like the idea of public transit. Yet others probably don't care about helping out the drunks.

Let's set the record straight. If you have ever visited a real large city, you would know that most every major metropolitan area has some sort of Light Rail. They generally serve many purposes. Obviously, the reason that is near and dear to my heart is keeping drunk drivers off the road. This is easily accomplished in city's with the light rail. You go out and have a good time. You pay a few buck to get on the light rail. You get off the light rail at your desired station. Their is generally a cab or group of cabs to run you home for under $10.00. No DUI, no fatalities, no lawyer fees, and low and behold, the cops in Kansas City could actually focus on crime instead of hunting down drunk drivers.
Don't like that argument? What about the green movement? Check out some facts from the Kansas City Transit Vision.

• Kansas City's labor force loses approximately $570 million in productivity while waiting in traffic.
• 12% of Kansas City area adults do not own a car.
• Rush hour congestion has more than tripled between 1983 and 2003.
• The current transit service meets only half of the demand for people with disabilities.

Just think about the money and emissions that could be saved by the number of people that could enjoy the light rail. Instead of idling in rush hour traffic, you could ride the light rail and continue to be productive, while reducing global warming.

Overall, I think people have been short-sided when considering the proposition of the light rail system in Kansas City. The next time this comes up on the ballot, I would like Kansas City voters to look at the total cost, or savings, of the light rail. Look at the cost savings, the environmental savings, and most important, the savings of lives needlessly taken from us every year. I think if you look at it, the cost is relatively small.