Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station deputies are hosting a driver’s license/DUI checkpoint Friday, officials said.

Officials are setting up a checkpoint at an undisclosed location within Santa Clarita city limits from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m., according to a Nixle news release.

“The deterrent effect of DUI checkpoints is a proven resource in reducing the number of persons killed and injured in alcohol or drug involved crashes,” according to a Nixle news release sent Tuesday. “Research shows that crashes involving an impaired driver can be reduced by up to 20 percent when well-publicized DUI checkpoints and proactive DUI patrols are conducted routinely.”

Nixle is an alert service used by Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station officials to let residents know about crime trends or community outreach.

In California, DUIs led to 802 deaths in 2012. Nationally, the latest data shows nearly 10,000 were killed by an impaired driver.

“Over the course of the past three years in the contract cities policed by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, DUI collisions have claimed 33 lives and resulted in 898 injury crashes harming 1330 of our friends and neighbors,” said Sgt. Daniel A. Dail of Traffic Services Detail.

A study of active drivers showed more tested positive for drugs that may impair driving (14 percent) than did for alcohol (7.3 percent), according to Sheriff’s Department date. Of the drugs, marijuana was most prevalent, at 7.4 percent, slightly more than alcohol.

Deputies will be looking for signs of alcohol and/or drug impairment with officers checking drivers for proper licensing delaying motorists only momentarily.

When possible, specially trained officers will be available to evaluate those suspected of drug-impaired driving.

Recent statistics reveal that 30 percent of drivers in fatal crashes had one or more drugs in their systems.  A study of active drivers showed more tested positive for drugs that may impair driving (14 percent) than did for alcohol (7.3 percent).  Of the drugs, marijuana was most prevalent, at 7.4 percent, slightly more than alcohol.

Drivers caught driving impaired can expect the impact of a DUI arrest to include jail time, fines, fees, DUI classes, other expenses that can exceed $10,000 not to mention the embarrassment when friends and family find out.

Funding for these operations is provided to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety http://www.ots.ca.gov/ through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration http://www.nhtsa.gov/, reminding everyone to ‘Report Drunk Driver – Call 9-1-1.