People everywhere this weekend will be celebrating the Fourth of
July with backyard barbecues, trips to the beach, or a visit to the
Independence Rally, but local police are reminding revelers to be
responsible when they drive.
Hollister – People everywhere this weekend will be celebrating the Fourth of July with backyard barbecues, trips to the beach, or a visit to the Independence Rally, but local police are reminding revelers to be responsible when they drive.
Officers with the Hollister Police Department and the California Highway Patrol will target drunken drivers beginning Friday and continuing through midnight on Monday, July 4.
Officer Chris Armstrong said the Hollister-area CHP will have maximum enforcement, with every available patrol officer on local highways and county roads.
“Due to the fact that we are in maximum enforcement, we expect everybody to obey all speed laws, all rules of the road,” Armstrong said. “We’re going to try to be proactive.”
The CHP’s slogan for the Fourth of July weekend is ” ‘Don’t hesitate to designate’,” he said. “Designate a driver. If you’re going to drink, stay where you’re at and do not drive; find another means of transportation, please.”
Hollister police will have extra patrols on all city and county streets, said Capt. Bob Brooks of the HPD. An average of 35 DUIs are issued over the Fourth of July weekend, compared to 2 or 4 such arrests on a typical weekend, Brooks said.
“Everyone’s on the lookout,” Brooks said. “Your chances of getting caught doing something silly are going to increase dramatically.”
Sheriff’s deputies also are joining the maximum enforcement effort, which is part of the “Avoid the 13” campaign conducted by law enforcement in several California counties on major holiday weekends.
Many departments are assigning extra officers to deal with crowds attending celebrations, concerts and fireworks displays. Intoxicated people often attend large events and are then tempted to get behind the wheel after the show is over .
“We want everyone to have a good time,” said Brooks. “We’re only here to catch the violators.”
The Avoid the 13 campaign started in 1973 and is funded by the California Office of Traffic Safety through the Business, Transportation and Housing Agency. The name refers to the 13 most common mistakes drivers make behind the wheel.
Danielle Smith contributed to this report.
