SHORT TAKES

The Costa Mesa Police Department has scheduled a sobriety checkpoint starting at 8 p.m. Friday and concluding at 2 a.m. Saturday. Officers will check eastbound drivers on West 19th Street at Pomona Avenue.

The checkpoint intends to educate the public about the dangers of driving under the influence of alcohol and driving without a valid driver’s license, police said.

In 2006 the department arrested 1,074 people along the city highways, Sgt. Richard Allum said. In 2005 the Costa Mesa had the third highest number of DUI-related accidents out of cities with a population of 100,000 or more, arresting 757, according to the state Office of Traffic Safety.

Also, statistics show that anyone operating a motor vehicle without a valid license has an increased likelihood of being involved in a collision, Allum said.

Police work with Mothers Against Drunk Driving, which provides a trailer that displays a totaled car at the checkpoints that was involved in a fatal DUI-related crash. It is used as a reminder of the consequences of drinking and driving.

— Kelly Strodl