![All available CHP officers will be on duty throughout the Antelope Valley this Labor Day weekend, looking for drunk or impaired drivers. [File]](https://www.theavtimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/CHP-maximum-enforcement-period.jpg)
Drug recognition experts and CHP officers will be on patrol watching for impaired drivers as well as assisting motorists in need throughout the holiday weekend.
“Our officers will be out finding dangerous drivers during the holiday period, showing zero tolerance for anyone driving drunk or impaired by drugs,” stated CHP Acting Commissioner Warren Stanley. “Anyone who chooses to drive impaired puts not only themselves and their passengers at risk, but they also endanger pedestrians, bicyclists, and others on the road.”
During the 2016 MEP, 38 people were killed in traffic collisions in California, an increase of almost 19 percent from 2015, according to data collected by the CHP. In addition, the CHP made more than 1,000 arrests for driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol over Labor Day weekend in 2016.
Impaired driving often peaks during holidays, and Labor Day is considered one of the most dangerous periods, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports. The 2015 Labor Day holiday period saw 460 people killed in collisions nationwide; nearly one-third of the fatal collisions involved drivers who were legally drunk.
“The Labor Day holiday should be a special time for friends and families at the end of summer, not a time of tragedy,” Acting Commissioner Stanley said. “Impaired driving, whether as a result of drugs or alcohol, is 100-percent preventable, and there is no excuse for it.”
Anyone who is going to drink is urged to plan a sober ride home in advance. Anyone who sees an impaired driver is encouraged to call 9-1-1.
[Information via news release from the California Highway Patrol.]
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F...k AV says
Legally drunk. Whatever that means this year. The goalposts keep moving. Today’s “legally” drunk was perfectly legal not too long ago.
Decades says
Legal limit has been .08 for DECADES
Tim Scott says
True, but when I took my first license exam it was .10, so it sort of depends how you define “not too long ago.”
F _ _ k AV says
Yep, and before that it was .12 and now the neo-prohibitionists want a .05 BAC. We have watched the amount of time these charges remains on your record extended, thus extending the opportunities for re-arrest.. They also haul in people with .06 or .07 BAC and charge “wet reckless” which is the same thing as a DUI. Next it’s going to be the marijuana swab which will have endless opportunities to arrest people for “intoxicated” driving. Like I said, always moving the goal posts.
Mike White says
Hey, here’s an idea- don’t drive drunk or high and you won’t have to worry about getting a DUI. Or you could keep on blaming the LEO’s and courts for your irresponsible behavior
alex says
How about working on not being extremely self-centered, and consider others. Don’t drink and drive; don’t do any drugs and drive. If you want to get high that’s your business. Don’t involve innocents because of your poor decision making.
The Profit says
In Lancaster, legally drunk is whatever Rex tells the judge. He can get you out of your DUI, but you owe him your soul.
For some people,that’s a fair trade off. They’ll never leave the Antelope Valley.They like to be the Big Man on Campus on the BLVD, at the Fair, at Bex, on one of Rex’s 5,000 commissions, and so on.
For others, it is worth taking the financial hit but having your soul.
If Rex offered to get me off a DUI, I would tell him to shove it. Selling your soul to a soulless man is as low as you can go.
Jeremy says
… courtroom economics here in the Antelope Valley is ass backward. That citing locals merely constitutes a transfer, basic income in the Antelope Valley is wholly unaffected, growth the Michael D Antonovich court experiences is immiserising, our Antelope Valley micro-economy incurs a behemoth dead-weight loss, and employment suffers. With Pasadena and Santa Clarita courts specifically singling-out Palmdale and Lancaster commuters to boost their community’s basic income, crux of the dilemma here in the Antelope Valley is, with local LASD and local CHP also specifically targeting AV residents, creates a triple drain on basic income, further impoverishing the Antelope Valley, immiserising our local court, in tandem with traffic ticket revenue outflows to Pasadena and Santa Clarita, which further exacerbates Antelope Valley commercial vacancy. The trick for CHP and LASD, when operating here in the Antelope Valley is (1) not citing locals. In the interest of bolstering Antelope Valley basic income, affecting real growth for our local Superior Court, we need Ponch & John punching back on Pasadena and Santa Clarita, (2) citing out-of-towners, cutting our locals some slack –
Horacio says
… if the Michael D Antonovich Superior Court here in Lancaster isn’t churning and burning at least 21 DUIs per week, they won’t make payroll. They’ll have to cut hours; send admins and clerks home, 1/2 day. If LASD can’t deliver with its 4th amendment checkpoints? Then, the local court has no other choice but pick up the phone, do some arm-twisting in Sacramento, pressure CHP to cinch up the slack –
The Profit says
…true. Especially when Rex gets you off your DUI charge by sending you to his judges. It saves you quite a bit of money, but then Rex owns you, like he owns so many in the Antelope Valley. What does it profit a man to gain Rex’s favor and lose his own soul?
For some, apparently enough in the Antelope Valley.
Amanda says
… to extrapolate true meaning from this article, just change the word, “enforcement,” to “revenue extraction” (e.g., “CHP girds its lions for a ‘maximum revenue extraction’ Labor Day frenzy!”)
Just Saying says
You’re confusing CHP with the Sheriff. CHP is exclusively funded by the DMV and sees no benefit from ticket revenue. But LA County Sheriff and LA County Courts, the connection is obvious.
Late night driver says
This is always welcome by us late night drivers going home from work. I say #NO4amLastCall for this reason. I don’t need to compete with drunk drivers along with darkness, dangerous SR138, animals darting across roads and anyone who may nod off while driving. Wish CHP would be out like this 24/7 365. #BacktheBadge
Tim Scott says
How is it different if the drunks drive home at four instead of two? I’m not trying to oppose your position, I’ve just been wondering about that part and you are the first really strong opinion on the matter that I’ve seen.
Fran says
Two extra hours of boozing. That is the difference.
Tim Scott says
So the concern is that you get the same drunks, only they are more drunk?
When I was in the navy I was stationed in places that had 4am bar calls. I didn’t really drink more, I just drank a little slower. I think people in bars are limited more by running out of money than by running out of time, generally speaking.
When I was stationed in places with 2am bar calls there were more than a few times where we were mostly out of money but would have been happy to stay a couple more hours, listening to music and doing other drunken stuff…and sobering up a little. Not saying that applies to everyone, but it might balance out. No question that the budget unlimited, dedicated drink ’til they close types will be drunker at four than at two though.
Boozer says
Think of all the money Bex can make on the Boozevard.
William says
Is it really wise to close bars at 2AM? That way people who like to drink are reminded that it’s “Last call{” and the opportunity for another drink or two before getting in their cars at 2 to drive home.
If bars could stay open all night or however long they wanted, there wouldn’t be the incentive to ‘drink up’, leave and drive.
I wonder if Nevada has more problems with drunk drivers after 2 AM compared to California.
Or, what if bars stopped serving alcohol at 2 but maybe served coffee or soft drinks after 2 and stayed open longer so customers could at least sober up slightly before getting in their cars.
Do legislators ever think things through………….at all……….ever…..to see if there is a smarter way to do things?
Alby says
They thought it through on their part. Thats how they get food their tables.