BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — As people celebrate the coming of the new year, local CHP officers are putting forth efforts to keep the roadways safe this weekend.
23ABC’s Breanna Polk explains their DUI identification and how you can help report drivers under the influence.
New Year’s Eve is the time for celebration with family, friends, and loved ones but as the night comes to an end, it’s important to think, plan, and ride in a responsible manner.
“One of the big things especially on a night like tonight is we’re going to be looking for
the big four. The speed, seatbelts, distracted driving but probably the biggest one on the weekends such as this is the driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs,” said Officer Eric Scott, California Highway Patrol.
Officer Scott said that they are doing everything in their power to secure roadways – making sure that everyone gets home safely.
“We are trying to reduce the number of traffic collisions which unfortunately can lead to people getting hurt and that is why we try to get those people off the roadway and to jail.”
He said that driving under the influence is not worth risking your life or the innocent lives of others. Save a life and call someone for a ride.
“Call someone to come drive for you, get a taxi, or a Rideshare company to come pick you up. There's so many options out there that there's no longer an excuse as to why somebody either got into a DUI crash or was arrested for DUI,” said Officer Scott.
CHP also encourages the public to assist by reporting suspected cars they see driving irresponsibly.
“Call 911 let us know your location and what the vehicle looks like so we can do our job to track down the vehicle as best we can and determine whether or not that person might be under the influence of alcohol or drugs.”
According to the California Highway Patrol, last year 56 people died in crashes and 709 DUI arrests were made throughout California.
This year, local authorities do not want to see those numbers rise. Save a life and take a ride.
