The highway patrol began a program in 1991 aimed at reducing multiple DUI offenders. The whole concept of targeting repeat offenders has been shared with police agencies by way of the hot sheet - a list of local habitual offenders updated quarterly. The department further expanded its concept to share the success of police agencies in arresting habitual offenders by publishing the Hot Sheet newsletter. At a sobriety checkpoint, police officers examine the license of every driver or a random sample of drivers. Checkpoints are also a good way to apprehend people driving with a suspended or revoked license due to a drunk-driving conviction.
Sobriety checkpoints are clearly an effective deterrent against hardcore drunk driving.
The more highly publicized, the better, because sobriety checkpoints serve as a very visible way to deter potential offenders as well as to catch violators. Some states lack enabling legislation. In Texas, checkpoints are widely supported by law enforcement but their usage has been blocked in the legislature. The legislature needs to work out legislation. They are a viable tool.