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CHP concentrates efforts on impaired driving
CHP

A new year-long joint effort to reduce impaired driving in California is underway by the California Highway Patrol and the California Office of Traffic Safety.

The two agencies are working together to reduce impaired driving with a new Statewide Impairment Reduction campaign, that started in October and will continue through to Sept. 30, 2018.    

The SIR grant provides the CHP with funding to conduct additional saturation patrols for driving under the influence, DUI checkpoints, and traffic safety education efforts throughout California.  The primary goal of these efforts is to apprehend DUI drivers and educate the public about the dangers of impaired driving. 

In 2015, California experienced 663 deaths and 11,061 injuries as a result of alcohol-involved driving collisions in CHP jurisdiction, according to  data from the Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System. 

“Law enforcement throughout the state continues to do their part by removing impaired drivers from the roadway,” CHP Acting Commissioner Warren Stanley said.  “With this grant funding we can continue an aggressive education and enforcement campaign to deter drivers from making the poor decision to drive impaired.”

The public is encouraged to call 9-1-1 if they see a suspected DUI driver.  They should be prepared to provide a location, direction of travel, and vehicle description.  Additionally, drivers should plan ahead before getting on the road.  There is always a better option than getting behind the wheel while impaired.

Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.  While alcohol remains a primary factor for a number of impaired driving collisions, the presence of drugs in fatal and injury collisions continues to increase.  As such, OTS and the CHP recognize that, “DUI Doesn’t Just Mean Booze.”  As a reminder, people can be arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol, cannabis, prescription or illicit drugs, or any impairing combination of alcohol and drugs.