Beware: sobriety check ahead

As I was driving on College Avenue near its intersection at 17th Street, I came across a billboard with the message "Sobriety Checkpoint Ahead." My curiosity grew; this wasn't the first time I'd seen this sign -- they are practically plastered all over the state of Indiana. I decided to ask my roommate what the deal was with them, which led me to do some research on the Internet. It turns out there is an interesting story behind it all.\nThese signs are posted in lieu of an advertising campaign that targets drivers who enjoy having a refreshing beverage quite often before getting behind the wheel. While these signs have made their presence across all boundaries of the state, only Marion County (the Indianapolis metropolitan area) plans on instituting random sobriety checks. Bloomington, however, will not be instituting random checkpoints and instead will rely on these signs to provoke a sense of warning to citizens so they may think about the consequences of drinking and driving -- similar to the Click It or Ticket campaign.\nThe problem that I have with this is that I believe random checkpoints should be a staple on our roadways, not within the Marion County limits alone. Driving is a privilege -- not a right -- and if one cannot be socially responsible for the course of his or her actions, maybe he or she shouldn't be behind the wheel in the first place. These individuals deserve to be arrested at random checkpoints and thrown in jail. I find this much more effective than booking them for public intoxication while walking home from the bars on a Friday night -- presumably, no danger to anyone. \nHowever, if checkpoints are going to be instituted, the signs that accompany this should be taken down. The idea of blatantly putting up signs that can been seen as far away as Kansas alongside a road and hope some fool willingly surrenders themselves for a comfortable night in jail is preposterous. I don't quite understand. Indiana claims it is looking in the best of interests for its citizens, and yet the actions they institute in many ways negate a solution to the problem. Did they ever consider their campaign could lead to greater repercussions than before?\nThese warning signs further provoke irrational behavior on the part of individuals who are under the influence. If a driver is uneducated about the true meaning of the sign and believes there in fact could be a threat of a roadblock ahead, an impaired driver will most likely try to find a way to avoid it at all costs. I decided to take a drive in my car, pretend that I was drunk and react to the sign. The answer, drive down side streets and endanger the lives of children or students who use the roads to take nightly runs. It's bad enough that hotshots drive down the street where I live at speeds in excess of 50 mph in order to get a kick; just imagine the capabilities of a drunk driver on one of these roads.\nNot very smart. \nI was able to find several Web sites that give advice on how one might avoid these "surprise" checkpoints; you can't possibly tell me that is just one of many clear signs that the system is out of sync. The solution: eliminate the signs and institute random checkpoints within all parameters of the state, not just in Marion County. Although it might be of small inconvenience, potentially saving a life and keeping the roads safe for all should be in the best of interests.