LAPLACE – State Police along with St. John the Baptist Parish sheriff’s deputies will be conducting a sobriety checkpoint on roadways in the parish this evening, according to a release from State Police Troop B.

Trooper Melissa Matey, spokesperson for Troop B, said the checkpoint will begin at 8:30 p.m. at a location somewhere in St. John Parish.

She said State Police and the Sheriff’s Office were still finalizing details regarding a location as of press time Tuesday.

The checkpoint is expected to run until about 2 a.m., weather permitting.

“Every year on roadways across the state, thousands of people are killed and seriously injured because of impaired drivers,” Matey said. “The consequences of drinking and driving can be costly no matter how many drinks you have consumed.”

Matey said in 2010, 43 percent of fatal crashes in Louisiana involved alcohol. Sobriety checkpoints are effective enforcement tools because they serve as a deterrent to impaired driving, she said.

“This is a joint effort to do whatever we can to remove impaired drivers from the roadway so that they cannot harm themselves or others,” Matey said. “Making the responsible decision can mean the difference between life and death.”

To report dangerous drivers or hazardous roadway conditions, call *LSP (*577) from your cellphone.