"Checkpoints and saturation patrols, like the ones planned for Saturday, are some of the ways we are working to get this number to zero," said Trooper Nathan Mackey with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.

The checkpoint and saturation patrols will be on Saturday, June 16 from 7 pm until 3 am. Not only with law enforcement be conducting the checkpoint, there will be extra law enforcement on patrol in the area looking for impaired drivers.

"This is an excellent program we are proud to be a part of," said Grady County Sheriff Jim Weir.

In March of 2017, a checkpoint and saturation patrols were conducted in the same area. From those activities, 1 arrest was made for driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol. We all know about alcohol, but other substances such as opioids, prescription medications, cannabis, or other substances can lead to being impaired. During the March checkpoint in Grady County, 3 arrests were made for driving under the influence of drugs (DUI-D). If you are driving while under the influence of any substance, legal or illegal, you can be arrested and charged with a DUI.

"Our primary job as law enforcement is to do anything we can to help make our community safer. That's why we partner with the ENDUI program," said Weir.

There is absolutely no reason for impaired driving collisions to happen. If you are drinking, have a plan to get home safe.

Everyone is highly encouraged to find a safe ride by calling a sober driver, using a cab, Uber, Lyft or any other ride-share service. Better yet, have a designated driver. Have fun and enjoy life, but do not, under any circumstances, drive while impaired by alcohol or any other substance. The cost is too high. Let’s ENDUI.

The media is invited to attend this checkpoint to help us raise awareness about the impaired driving problem in Oklahoma. Interviews with members of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol will be available. To coordinate times, locations, and interviews, please email cody.mcdonell@dps.ok.gov.

The ENDUI enforcement team coordinates multi-jurisdictional events on a regular basis, including sobriety checkpoints and saturation patrols. These efforts are needed to impact Oklahoma’s impaired driving problem across the state. The locations of these activities are driven by data from the Oklahoma Highway Safety Office and by local request.

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The ENDUI Oklahoma program is a program of the Oklahoma Highway Safety Office and is funded through impaired driving grants from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.