BISMARCK, N.D. (AP)- North Dakota’s Republican-led House has passed a measure that would outlaw sobriety checkpoints in the state.

The House voted 79-14 Tuesday to approve the bill that requires “reasonable suspicion for certain traffic stops.”

Bismarck GOP Rep. Rick Becker was the measure’s primary sponsor. He says sobriety checkpoints are ineffective and don’t act as a deterrent.

Becker says “roving saturation patrols” do more to get drunken drivers off the road.

I sure hope this bill passes in my home state and other states follow suit. I've always thought these check points were in violation of our constitutional rights to due process and no unreasonable searches or seizures. The police should not be stopping law abiding citizens on the roadways simply to arrest a rare DUI suspect. I have to agree with Mr. Becker that these check points are a waste of resources and having extra police patrols during holidays and weekends where drinking and driving is more likely would be a better use of resources.

Why sobriety checkpoints don't work

Putting aside the intrusive nature of these checkpoints (though it’s an awful lot to put aside), there’s the not insignificant fact that they don’t actually catch drunk drivers. Instead, sobriety roadblocks inconvenience people trying to get from here to there by creating an artificial traffic jam. The cops manning the checkpoint give people tickets who aren’t wearing their seat belts or have expired insurance — but seldom do they nab a dangerous drunk.

Consider: One recent checkpoint in California stopped almost 1,400 drivers but didn’t yield a single DWI arrest. Another in Ohio screened more than 450 drivers without making a single arrest. Yet another stopped about 100 vehicles, resulting in three minor citations not involving alcohol. Some precincts invest over $2,000 per checkpoint-facilitated DUI arrest — if the checkpoint yields any DUIs at all.

Why doesn’t this favored law enforcement tool show better results?

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/jul/4/why-sobriety-checkpoints-dont-work/

Good points brought up in this article too that these check points are easily spotted by drunk drivers and they can simply turn around or go down a side street to avoid them. Not mention with smart phones and the internet someone can texted all their buddies that they spotted a checkpoint on the road and avoid that road on their way home from the bars.

Or you can be like this guy and basically use other laws on the books to give these checkpoint police the finger.

Source: https://www.valleynewslive.com/content/news/North-Dakota-House-votes-to-outlaw-sobriety-checkpoints-505742131.html