Louisiana State Police Troop A, the Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office an the Louisiana Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries arrested a total of 12 drivers on DWI and narcotics charges during a sobriety checkpoint Thursday night in Ascension Parish.

The checkpoint was conducted on Hwy. 42 east of Hwy. 930 in Prairieville.

Nearly 900 vehicles were screened during the six-hour period from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m., according to State Police spokesperson Tpr. Russell Graham.

He said 34 drivers submitted to a field sobriety test, and ten were charged with DWI and two with narcotics charges.

The LDWF provided a field vehicle equipped with an Intoxilyzer 5000 and the Sheriff's Office provided a prisoner transport van and additional personnel, Graham said.

Sobriety checkpoints are effective enforcement tools for deterring impaired driving, Graham said.

He encouraged the public to help agencies keep impaired drivers off of the roads and water by reporting possible impaired driving to State Police by calling *LSP (*577) on cell phones.