The checkpoints also serve as a monitoring station for seat belt and child restraint compliance in states that require those to be used and as a potential point to catch fugitives. Nunnallee believes an important aspect of sobriety checkpoints is the public awareness created. As they go through a checkpoint, people are reminded that drunk driving is still a severe problem in this country. Since the U.S. Supreme Court voted in a 5-4 decision in 1990 that sobriety checkpoints did not violate the provisions against illegal search and seizure in the U.S. Constitution, MADD has supported using them as a deterrent for those who might drive after a few drinks. Although the percentage of those arrested may be low, experts say that the effectiveness of sobriety checkpoints should not be measured in arrests but in heightened public awareness.
People are concerned about the low yield rate.
People tend to focus on that if you stop 1,000 drivers, you may only catch 10 drunk drivers. The point is that the public being aware of sobriety checkpoints may prevent them from driving drunk. The point is not to catch people, but to prevent accidents and injuries. Strain attributes much of the success of the program to getting the word out about checkpoints. We had people in bars talking.