Labor Day Weekend, also known as
”
last weekend of the summer
”
is notorious for picnics, public events and parties with family
and friends, but it’s also the time of year when deadly vehicle
accidents occur.
Morgan Hill
Labor Day Weekend, also known as “last weekend of the summer” is notorious for picnics, public events and parties with family and friends, but it’s also the time of year when deadly vehicle accidents occur.
To that end, local law enforcement throoughout Santa Clara County are beefing up patrols in an effort to take drunken drivers off the road. Morgan Hill Police Department will start their efforts today as will the California Highway Patrol. The “Avoid the 13” program, which began Aug. 20, will conclude at midnight Monday.
“The highways will be crowded and congested with traffic, and mixing these factors with alcochol and speed can lead to a deadly consequence,” said Joe Farrow, CHP Commissioner.
Friday, there will be two additional Morgan Hill police officers to support a checkpoint on Dunne Avenue from 9. p.m to 3 a.m., to check drivers licenses and registration.
From 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. Saturday, Morgan Hill Police Department will have two more officers in downtown Morgan Hill.
Since the Avoid 13 program began, officers have arrested 264 individuals on suspicion of driving under the influences of alcohol or drugs.
Last year 12 people were killed in crashes on California roadways during the Labor Day Weekend and CHP officers arrested 1,417 for driving under the influences.
Jerry Neumayer, Morgan Hill Police Department Sergeant, advice is “to the people who will drink alcohol during the holidays make sure you have a designated driver.”
The Avoid Anti-DUI Program was launched in the winter of 1973 to bring law enforcement agencies together in countywide clusters to crack down on suspected drunken drivers in an effort to reduce the number of deaths and injuries caused by alcohol related crashes. It is funded annually by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
