SUSSEX COUNTY, Del. — Delaware State Police and the Delaware Office of Highway Safety will conduct a DUI checkpoint Friday night in Sussex County as officials work to prevent impaired-driving crashes.
Authorities do not release the exact time or location of DUI checkpoints. They only announce the county where the enforcement effort will take place. The checkpoint comes as Delaware has recorded more than 400 impaired-driving crashes so far this year.
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Friday’s checkpoint will be the second held in Delaware in 2026. A checkpoint planned for Memorial Day weekend in Sussex County was canceled because of severe weather. The state’s previous checkpoint was held during St. Patrick’s Day weekend. According to the Office of Highway Safety, officers stopped 590 vehicles on Sussex County roads.
Five drivers were arrested for DUI, while 55 other arrests or citations were issued for additional traffic violations.
Those results were released the Thursday after the checkpoint. Based on that timeline, officials are expected to release the results from Friday’s checkpoint next week.
Some Sussex County residents said checkpoints should be held more often. Others questioned whether the state should announce them in advance, arguing that no warning could help police catch more drivers who are impaired by alcohol or drugs.
With rideshare services available by phone, officials say a safe ride may cost $30 or $40. A DUI, however, could lead to thousands of dollars in legal expenses, time behind bars or the loss of a life.
