Are DWI Checkpoint Announcements Counterproductive?

Before you call us out here and say we have written articles about DWI checkpoints, let me just say this is my personal opinion and thought process. I am genuinely curious if I am thinking too much into this topic or perhaps others feel the same. Now that we got that out of the way, let me explain my weird thought process.

Every so often you may see an article on your news feed alerting the public about an upcoming DWI checkpoint. Most of the time these checkpoints are on the weekend, especially holiday weekends or in the area of a big event like a concert. Personally, this has never made sense to me.

I have had to go through a DWI checkpoint after work years ago. I had not had a drink and it was late so I was tired. Yes, the checkpoint takes some time to go through. It can be an inconvenience, but it is saving lives. I understand the mentality that if you are not drinking you feel like you should not be tied up at a checkpoint.

However, if DWI checkpoints are announced ahead of time wouldn't that potentially cause problems with people who are drunk driving?

Hear me out, if you are going out for a night on the town and knew where the checkpoints would be wouldn't you avoid them? You could make the argument that if you are drunk, you might not remember. Even if you have a strong buzz going on you are a danger to everyone on the road, including yourself. Isn't it such a disservice to warn people who are potentially driving while intoxicated that there will be checkpoints to stop them?

If they avoid those checkpoints and cause an accident, the damage could be fatal.