Crime & Safety
CHP Joins Santa Cruz, Watsonville Police In Holiday DUI Crackdown
All available CHP officers will be out and about to look for impaired drivers and assist motorists beginning Christmas Eve.
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, CA — Amid impaired driving enforcement operations conducted by Santa Cruz and Watsonville Police Departments, the California Highway Patrol will begin looking for people driving under the influence on Christmas Eve.
CHP will be looking for impaired drivers from 6 p.m. Tuesday to 11:50 p.m. Wednesday. All available officers will be on the road, according to a CHP press release.
CHP's 102-hour Christmas crackdown operation in 2018 netted 1,166 arrests related to DUI. At least 16 were killed and 350 injured in DUI-related collisions during that period.
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"When a person chooses to drink and drive, it not only puts their safety at risk, but it endangers the life of everyone on the road with them,” said CHP Commissioner Warren Stanley in the press release.
CHP also reminds drivers that the holidays bring traffic, and asks people to stay rested, vigilant and buckled up. It encourages people to report dangerous drivers by calling 911 and find a designated driver.
Find out what's happening in Watsonvillefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Read more about the Santa Cruz Police and Watsonville Police DUI campaigns.
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