Last weekend the Metropolitan Police Department stepped up traffic enforcement and education in the 4600 and 4700 blocks of South Capitol Street Southwest through high visibility Traffic Safety Compliance Checkpoints. The District of Columbia continues to work towards eliminating all fatal and serious injury crashes through the citywide Vision Zero initiative. MPD wants drivers to stay safe while on the roads and address drivers who put others at risk.
MPD’s high visibility Traffic Safety Compliance Checkpoint occurred both on Friday, June 16, and Saturday, June 17 in the 4600 block and 4700 blocks of South Capitol Street, Southwest. between the hours of 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. The primary purpose was to promote public safety by promoting safe driving, providing education, traffic violation enforcement, along with taking suspected impaired drivers and unsafe drivers off the road.
During the Traffic Safety Compliance Checkpoints MPD had the below outcomes:
MPD would like to remind you if you plan on drinking or utilizing substances that can affect your ability to drive, please take these precautions to help keep our community safe:
Always use a designated driver – a friend who is not drinking or otherwise impaired, ride-share, cab or public transportation – to get home.
Walking while impaired is also dangerous. Have someone sober walk you home or stay with you until a sober driver is available to pick you up.
Report impaired drivers – Call 911.
Hosting a party? Offer nonalcoholic drinks. Monitor who is drinking and how they are getting home.
Remember, impaired driving is not just from alcohol. While medicinal and recreational marijuana are legal, driving under the influence of marijuana is illegal.
If you see someone driving unsafely, call 9-1-1 immediately.
MPD will continue stepping up traffic enforcement and education this summer as the District of Columbia surpasses a 50% increase in traffic fatalities when compared to this time last year. Each one of MPD’s seven districts have assigned officers on each shift to focus solely on traffic enforcement and drivers who are under the influence, distracted, or driving in an unsafe manner. Additional Traffic Safety Compliance Checkpoints are planned for numerous locations through the district.
The Metropolitan Police Department is committed to our partnerships with National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the District Department of Transportation, and US Department of Transportation to make the roadways in our communities a safe place for everyone.