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It's Cinco de Mayo weekend, which means that a lot of people are going to be drinking margaritas in the name of Mexican independence (despite Cinco de Mayo not actually being Mexican Independence Day; that's in September!) and the LAPD will be out in full force stopping drunk drivers. In anticipation of a holiday that was largely invented as we know it today by alcohol companies, the LAPD has the following DUI-related enforcement activities scheduled for Cinco de Mayo weekend:
Friday, May 5
DUI/Driver License Checkpoint at Manchester Avenue and Main Street from 8 P.M. to 1 A.M.
DUI/Driver License Checkpoint at Sunset Boulevard and Orange Grove Avenue from 8 P.M. to 1 A.M.
DUI Saturation Patrol in Central Bureau from 6 P.M. to 2 A.M.
Saturday, May 6
DUI/Driver License Checkpoint at Sherman Way and Independence Avenue from 8 P.M. to 1 A.M.
DUI/Driver License Checkpoint at Roscoe Boulevard and Gloria Avenue from 8 P.M. to 1 A.M.
Sunday, May 7
DUI Saturation Patrol in Mission Area from 5 P.M. to 1 A.M.
The San Gabriel Police Department will also be deploying their DUI enforcement team, as will the Orange County Sheriff's Department.
And before you panic about how we're helping drunk drivers get away with it, we'd like to remind you that the LAPD actually encourages media to publicize the checkpoints because awareness of them discourages drunk driving. As LAPD Chief Charlie Beck told LAist a few years ago, "People having foresight aren't the ones who are committing this crime. People who are thinking ahead aren't the ones that this checkpoint is likely to catch. I think that the publicity surrounding these things is so important that if you give a couple of locations, that's fine." Furthermore, given the fear surrounding possible ICE checkpoints, we think it's helpful for readers to know what's what.
Last year, forty people were killed across the country during Cinco de Mayo weekend in impaired driving traffic collisions, according to the LAPD. If you're planning to imbibe, please remember to designate a DD, take a Lyft/Uber, or even go Metro!
Related: The Coolest Things To Do In L.A. For Cinco De Mayo 2017(Spoiler Alert: They all involve supporting immigrant and undocumented communities)
