“Our officers will be out finding dangerous
drivers during the holiday period, showing zero tolerance for anyone driving
drunk or impaired by drugs,” CHP Acting Commissioner Warren Stanley said.
“Anyone who chooses to
drive impaired puts not only themselves and their passengers at risk, but they
also endanger pedestrians, bicyclists, and others on the road.”
Steps-Up Safety Patrol
Labor Day-Weekend
CHP
Juan C. Quintero, Public Information Officer of the Arrowhead CHP/INLAND located
in Running Springs, California, issued a public service announcement, Wednesday
August 30, 2017 ____ Labor Day-weekend is one of the busiest weekends on the
road, especially the San Bernadino Mountain roads. To make sure it is also a
safe one, the California Highway Patrol
(CHP) will be working hard to spread the word about the dangers of impaired driving through education
and increased enforcement.
All
available California Highway Patrol
officers will be on duty during the Labor Day Maximum Enforcement Period (MEP),
from 6:01 P.M. Friday September 1st to 11:59 P.M. Monday September 4th.
Drug Recognition Experts and CHP officers will be on patrol watching for
impaired drivers as well as assisting motorists in need throughout the holiday
weekend.
During
the 2016 MEP,
38 people were killed in traffic collisions in California, an increase of
almost 19 percent from 2015, according to data collected by the California Highway Patrol. In addition,
the CHP made more than 1,000 arrests for driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol
over Labor Day weekend in 2016.
Impaired
driving often peaks during holidays, and Labor Day Weekend is considered one of
the most dangerous periods, the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports. The 2015 Labor Day holiday
period saw 460 people killed in collisions nationwide; nearly one-third of the
fatal collisions involved drivers who were legally drunk.
“The
Labor Day holiday should be a special time for friends and families at the end
of Summer, not a time of tragedy,” Acting Commissioner Stanley said. “Impaired
driving, whether as a result of drugs or alcohol, is 100-percent preventable,
and there is no excuse for it.”
ANYONE who is going to drink
is urged to plan a sober ride home, in advance. ANYONE who sees an impaired driver is encouraged to call 9-1-1
The mission of the California Highway Patrol
is to provide the highest level of Safety, Service, and Security.
