As you well know, Berkshire County residents, drunk driving is no laughing matter. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, every day here in the United States, almost 30 people die in drunk-driving crashes.

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That works out to about 1 every 52 minutes. Not a good statistic. I myself, back in the day, managed to survive two crashes that I should not have walked away from. Thankfully, nobody else was injured because nobody else was involved. And not a day goes by where I don't, from the bottom of my heart, thank God for that.

Courtesy of a media statement, the Mass State Police have announced another sobriety checkpoint. This one is planned for this coming Thursday, April 13th, into Friday, April 14th. This sobriety checkpoint is for Essex County.

The hours of operation for this checkpoint will vary and MSP wants to stress that the idea behind letting the public know about the checkpoint ahead of time is to lower anxiety and reduce fear for motorists. They also want to stress that safety will be assured.

The Mass State Police want to educate motorists and make them aware of drivers who are operating under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. Removing drivers who are operating under the influence from the roadways is what these checkpoints are all about.

An important note from the MSP: the selection of vehicles that will be stopped during the checkpoint will not be arbitrary. In the end, the message is simple: If you've been drinking, DO NOT DRIVE. And always wear your seatbelt because that's the best defense against other drivers who are impaired.

For more info, visit the Mass State Police's Facebook page here.

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