CHP holiday warning

From the California Highway Patrol:

The California Highway Patrol has a few suggestions for motorists looking to stay safe this year: never drink and drive, watch your speed and always buckle up before heading out.

In an effort to keep California’s roads safe this holiday season, enhanced CHP presence will occur during the upcoming Christmas enforcement period which begins Dec. 24 at 6pm and continues through midnight Dec. 27.

“The holidays are about family, friends and celebration,” said CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow in a press release. “Unfortunately it’s also a time of year when we see too many alcohol-related fatalities.”

According to the Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System there were more than 4,000 collisions that occurred during last year’s Christmas enforcement period in California.

During that same time period, 37 people died on California’s roadways and among those killed, 23 lost their lives in alcohol-related crashes.

Along with the increased enforcement effort, the CHP is asking motorists to help keep the state’s roadways safe by calling 911 to report a suspected drunken driver.

The CHP will conduct a similar holiday enforcement effort over the long New Year’s weekend which begins Dec. 31 at 6pm and continues through midnight Jan. 3.