DUI checkpoint. File photo.
DUI checkpoint. File photo.

Maybe it was luck, or maybe people are figuring out the many alternatives to driving home drunk.

Out of 517 vehicles Long Beach police screened during a checkpoint Saturday night, officers did not find anyone driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, authorities said.

Police did issue seven citations, including three for unlicensed drivers, at the checkpoint on Ocean Boulevard at Cherry Avenue between the hours of 6 p.m. and 2 a.m.

“One difference that was noticed during this checkpoint was an increase in taxis and ride share vehicles, such as Uber and Lyft,” a police statement said.

However, the problem is far from over: California has seen an increase in drug-impaired driving crashes in recent years, police said. The LBPD investigated 103 DUI collisions last year where 10 people were killed and 151 were injured.

The department chooses checkpoint locations based on collision statistics and frequency of DUI arrests, according to the LBPD.

Funding for the checkpoint came from a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Valerie Osier is the Social Media & Newsletter Manager for the Long Beach Post. Reach her at [email protected] or on Twitter @ValerieOsier