DUI checkpoint scheduled for Newport Boulevard

The Newport Beach police have scheduled a sobriety checkpoint from 9 p.m. Friday to 3 a.m. Saturday on the northbound side of Newport Boulevard at Finley Avenue.

Police said they chose to hold the checkpoint at the beginning of the Memorial Day weekend in hopes of educating the public and preventing a number of accidents on this weekend that can be synonymous with partying and drinking. Drivers who pass through the checkpoint Friday will be given pamphlets about the dangers of driving under the influence.

Checkpoints lessen the number of drunk drivers on the road even though they do not necessarily increase arrests, police said.

The location was chosen based on its proximity to a number of local bars and restaurants and the street’s volume of traffic. The area is also highly visible to motorists, police said.

— Kelly Strodl