HAGÅTÑA (The Guam Daily Post) — The Guam Police Department will be conducting driving while impaired checkpoints for the next several weeks and into the new year.
On Tuesday, GPD announced checkpoints will be conducted this week and continue until Jan. 6.
GPD’s Highway Patrol Division’s sobriety checkpoints will be at any one of the following locations:
• Along Route 1, Yigo, Dededo and Tamuning
• Route 14, Tumon
• Route 4 from Hagåtña to Chalan Pago
• Route 10 Veterans Highway, Mangilao
Traffic fatalities
With a couple of weeks left in the year, the checkpoints are being utilized to prevent the number of fatal traffic crashes from increasing from the already record number of 29 this year.
According to Post files, GPD Sgt. Paul Tapao told The Guam Daily Post drivers could expect checkpoints throughout the holiday season considering a couple of the main causes of traffic crashes are excessive speed and driving while impaired.
Along with the announcement of the checkpoints to end the year, GPD encouraged drivers to wear their seat belts while on the roadway, be aware of their surroundings, be mindful of how fast they are traveling and not to drink and drive.
According to a Dec. 5, 2022, column for The Guam Daily Post, GPD Officer Morgan Reyes, an investigator with the Highway Patrol Division, Guam has averaged three traffic-related fatalities in the month of December between 2018 and 2021.
After several fatal crashes occurred last month, there have been no traffic fatalities since the month of December began.
Officers with the Guam Police Department conduct a DWI checkpoint June 2021 in Upper Tumon.
