Rancho Santa Margarita DUI Checkpoints Help Prevent Car Accidents

With a population of over 49,000 people Rancho Santa Margarita, California is one of Orange County's youngest cities. Few residents who work in the city carpool, which means there is a lot of heavy traffic during morning and evening commutes. Unfortunately, this twice-a-day crunch has resulted in a number of car accidents.

"With its preponderance of pedestrians, bicyclists and skateboarders, Rancho Santa Margarita motorists have to be especially vigilant to prevent car collisions," notedpedestrian and car accident attorney John Bisnar who founded the law firm of BISNAR | CHASE. "As in any city, statistics tell the tragedies of inattentive or reckless driving."

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, from 2001 to 2003, Rancho Santa Margarita car accidentskilled three people.

In 2006, the California Highway Patrol's Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS) reported that 62 people were injured in Rancho Santa Margarita car crashes, while DUI crashes accounted for five injuries. And eight pedestrians, three bicyclists and two motorcyclists were injured in car accidents.

In 2007, the CHP reported that one man died and five people were injured in a Rancho Santa Margarita drunk driving accident. The car accident occurred when a driver lost control of a Ford Excursion and crashed into a Ford pickup driven by a Rancho Santa Margarita man. The driver of the Ford Excursion was heading north on Antonio Parkway in Ladera Ranch. He was subsequently arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence.

"Impaired drivers are a danger to themselves and others," said John Bisnar. "If you've made the decision to drink, make the next decision the right one to avoid a serious car accident-- let someone else drive."

Thankfully, Rancho Santa Margarita has taken an aggressive stance to keep its car accident rate low. One way it's doing this is through DUI Checkpoints. In 2008, a checkpoint was set up along Rancho Santa Margarita Parkway near Buena Suerta. This stretch of roadway had seen its share of alcohol-related traffic accidents. The checkpoint marked the launch of the city's "Over the Limit, Under Arrest" campaign designed to persuade drivers not to drink and drive during the holidays.

The DUI checkpoint initially screened 476 cars, followed by 22 cars that went through secondary screening. In a matter of five hours, five suspects were arrested for DUI--four men and one woman. The checkpoint also resulted in six cars being towed and six additional arrests--four for driving without a license and two for the possession of marijuana.

Be on the Hit-and-Run Lookout

BISNAR | CHASE, in conjunction with WeTip, a leading anonymous crime reporting service and law enforcement advocacy non-profit organization, is launching a program intended to wipe out hit-and-runs in the state of California by offering rewards for tips leading to the arrest and felony conviction of hit-and-run drivers. See Hit-and-Run Reward for more details.

BISNAR | CHASE 2006-2010 Super Lawyers names outstanding lawyers from more than 60 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. BISNAR | CHASE has received this award for five consecutive years. Brian Chase was named one of the 2010 Top 50 Orange County Lawyers.