By Lori Stuenkel
Gilroy – People everywhere this weekend will be celebrating the Fourth of July with backyard barbecues, trips to the beach, or a visit to Hollister’s Independence Rally, but local police are reminding revelers to be responsible when they drive or face one of the many extra officers on the road.
Officers with the Gilroy Police Department, California Highway Patrol, and Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office will be targeting drunken drivers starting today through midnight on Monday, July 4.
Officer Chris Armstrong said the Gilroy/Hollister area CHP will have maximum enforcement, with every available patrol officer on local highways and county roads.
“Due to the fact that we are in maximum enforcement, we expect everybody to obey all speed laws, all rules of the road,” Armstrong said. “We’re going to try to be proactive.”
The CHP’s slogan for the Fourth of July weekend is “Don’t hesitate to designate,” he said.
“Designate a driver. If you’re going to drink, stay where you’re at and do not drive; find another means of transportation, please,” Armstrong said.
Gilroy police will have two units assigned to drunken driving enforcement, Sgt. Kurt Svardal said.
Sheriff’s deputies also are joining the maximum enforcement effort, which is part of the “Avoid the 13” campaign conducted by county law enforcement on major holiday weekends.
Many departments are assigning extra officers to deal with crowds attending celebrations and fireworks displays, which may contain intoxicated people who are tempted to get behind the wheel.
Drivers and police also should be aware that rubberneckers who stop on streets and freeways are a real hazard, said Santa Clara Police Chief Steve Lodge, who is heading the Avoid campaign.
“Alcohol makes it worse, because impaired drivers can’t react fast enough to avoid a rear-end crash,” he said.
Gilroy police arrested four people on suspicion of drunken driving last July 4 weekend.
The Avoid the 13 campaign started in 1973 and is funded by the California Office of Traffic Safety through the Business, Transportation and Housing Agency.
