North Dakota Highway Patrol and Grand Forks County Sheriff's Office to conduct sobriety checkpoint

GRAND FORKS COUNTY — The North Dakota Highway Patrol and Grand Forks County Sheriff’s Office will be conducting a sobriety checkpoint on Saturday, Sept. 7, at a predetermined but undisclosed location somewhere in Grand Forks County.

In conjunction with the checkpoint, saturation patrols will be done Friday, Sept. 6, and Saturday, Sept. 7, according to an NDHP press release.

Operations such as these are carried out with the goal of increasing public safety by targeting impaired drivers and reducing the number of alcohol-related crashes.

From the beginning of the year up until Aug. 22, there were 57 fatalities across 53 crashes on North Dakota roadways. Nearly 16% of the crashes involved alcohol, the release said.

“Impaired driving is a serious problem that puts all roadway users at risk,” NDHP Northeast Regional Sgt. Matthew Johnson said. “Our goal is to ensure that everyone can safely come together and enjoy community events such as weekend college football games. We will plan these enforcement events to encourage responsible choices and deter impaired driving.”

The NDHP reminds everyone to share the road; ensure all vehicle occupants are wearing a seat belt; drive without distractions; and always drive sober.

Results from the planned enforcement events will be released the week after the events occur.

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