DUI checkpoint scheduled for Bucks County on St. Patrick's Day. Here's when and where

Bucks County law enforcement will be out in full force this weekend to crack down on motorists driving under the influence during the St. Patrick's Day holiday.

Warrington Police Chief Daniel Friel, who is also the head of the Bucks County Chiefs of Police Association, said officers from several departments will be operating a DUI checkpoint along Route 611 on Friday.

Where will the DUI checkpoints in Bucks County be for St. Patrick's Day?

Officers from eight different police departments will be conducting the DUI checkpoint along Route 611 starting at 10 p.m. Friday until 3 a.m. Saturday.

Bensalem, Doylestown Township, Hilltown, Newtown Borough, Newtown Township, Middletown and Richland police departments will be joining Warrington in its enforcement Friday, the seventh year of the effort.

Friel estimated there will be about 30 officers involved in the checkpoint.

How many DUI crashes were the in the Philadelphia region last year?

There were dozens of impairment-related crashes around the time of St. Patrick's Day in the Philadelphia region last year.

PennDOT spokeswoman Krys Johnson said there were 70 DUI crashes in the region between March 11, 2022, and March 20, 2022. Two people were killed.

In Bucks County, there were 13 crashes during that time; none fatal.

Leo Hegarty, executive director for the PA DUI Association, said there were 9,220 impaired driving-related crashes in Pennsylvania in 2021, which was a 19% increase from 2020.

“These deaths, injuries and crashes are 100% preventable," he said.

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Bucks County police encourage designated drivers, rideshare options

Bucks County District Attorney Matt Weintraub encouraged common sense and recommended people use a rideshare option, like Uber, or to have a designated driver.

“We have so many alternatives to driving drunk or high or under the influence of both," the DA said.

Friel said those who are the designated driver should take the role seriously.

The goal, he said, is to have zero DUI arrests.

“Unfortunately we haven’t hit that threshold yet," Friel said.

This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Bucks County DUI checkpoint up for St. Patrick's Day Friday