Labor Day weekend, considered the unofficial end of summer by many, is often celebrated with outdoor parties and barbecues, and sometimes with too much alcohol, law enforcement officials say.
“Labor day is traditionally one of the worst holiday periods of the year for traffic collisions,” said Capt. Brent Newman, commander of the California Highway Patrol’s Hollister-Gilroy area office. “Because it’s the final break before summer officially ends and school starts, everyone tries extra hard to squeeze in every last bit of fun they can. Unfortunately, along with higher traffic volumes comes an increase in the number of crashes.”
Not only will CHP officers be out in force for the three-day weekend, but the Morgan Hill Police Department will have extra officers on duty during the evening hours, specifically looking for drunk drivers, according to Morgan Hill police Sgt. David Swing.
“This is a big summer wrap up for a lot of people, and we want to make sure the roads are safe,” he said. “We’re asking people to be responsible, not to drink and drive, for their own sake as well as for everyone else on the road.”
Swing said the best time to designate a driver is before drinking. If a designated driver is not available, a ride in a taxicab is cheaper than the cost of a DUI, which can add up to as much as $8,000.
Officers will also be looking for other infractions as they patrol Morgan Hill streets over the long weekend, Swing said.
CHP officers will be participating in several national safety efforts over the weekend, Newman said, including “Operation C.A.R.E. (Combined Accident Reduction Effort),” “Click It or Ticket,” to encourage the use of safety belts, and “Drunk Driving, Over the Limit, Under Arrest.”
