Police planning DUI checkpoint in Lawrence Friday night

Lawrence police plan a DUI checkpoint somewhere in Lawrence Friday night as part of a statewide drunken-driving enforcement campaign.

Police declined to say where the checkpoint will be, but it will operate from 11 p.m. Friday to 3 a.m. Saturday morning, according to a news release from the Lawrence Police Department. Officers will stop and check drivers to determine if they are driving while impaired by drugs or alcohol.

The associated overtime costs from the enforcement will be paid through a grant from the Kansas Department of Transportation, which is also sponsoring efforts across the state by local law enforcement agencies and the Kansas Highway Patrol. That effort, billed as the “You Drink. You Drive. You Lose.” campaign, will continue until Sept. 2.

In Kansas, an average of nearly five people are injured every day, and one person is killed every three days, in alcohol-related crashes, according to KDOT. Convictions for driving under the influence can bring penalties of up to one year in jail, suspension of driving privileges, and fines of up to $2,500, along with mandatory installation of ignition interlock devices on the offender’s vehicle.