ASHLAND — A local OVI checkpoint is planned this week, according to the Ashland Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
Details on the planned checkpoint will be announced later in the week. The location of the checkpoint will be announced on the morning of the planned event, the patrol said.
The most recent such OVI-related event was in May when troopers operated a checkpoint on Ohio 3 near milepost 5 from 7 to 10 p.m.
OVI checkpoints, paid for by federal grant funds, are planned to deter and intercept impaired drivers, the patrol has said.
A similar checkpoint had been planned for Saturday night in Richland County, though troopers cancelled it in the afternoon due to expected bad weather.
Both state and federal courts have repeatedly upheld the constitutionality of sobriety checkpoints. In the landmark 1990 case Michigan v. Sitz, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that public safety benefits outweigh the minimal intrusion on individual privacy guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution.
The Ohio Supreme Court has similarly affirmed DUI checkpoints, provided law enforcement agencies follow specific guidelines. Under Ohio State Highway Patrol Policy OSP-200.21, checkpoints must satisfy strict requirements:
- An official not involved in conducting the checkpoint selects the location.
- The site has a documented history of alcohol-related crashes and impaired driving violations, scheduled during peak periods for alcohol involvement.
- The location guarantees safety for motorists and officers, allowing traffic to be diverted without creating hazards or congestion.
- The checkpoint commander establishes a random stopping sequence in advance.
- Officers greet drivers and screen them for articulate signs of impairment before either releasing the vehicle or diverting it to a screening area.
- Drivers exhibiting probable cause for an OVI violation under Section 4511.19 of the Ohio Revised Code are directed to the screening area for further investigation.
