CHP Crackdown for Holiday Weekend
According to the California Highway Patrol, they will be joining forces with local law enforcement agencies this Labor Day weekend, to crack down on drunk driving in California. CHP officers will be out in full force as they "gear up to save lives", the agency said. The CHP's holiday enforcement effort will involve close cooperation with local police departments and will begin on Friday, August 30, at 6 p.m. and continues through Monday, September 2, at 11:59 p.m.
According to the CHP "An additional emphasis will be placed on removing impaired drivers from the roadway before they destroy their life or the lives of their fellow motorists."
During the same holiday period last year, 35 people were killed in crashes on California roadways, according to the CHP. The statistic does not specifically confirm that these deaths were caused by drunk drivers, however.
Saturation Patrols for drunk drivers are increasingly seen as a more effective enforcement tool than sobriety checkpoints. Increasing the number of officers on DUI enforcement patrols as opposed to using resources at checkpoints is intended to lead to more DUI arrests. Checkpoints are seen as a deterrent to driving under the influence of alcohol and serve as an opportunity to educate motorists about the dangers of drinking and driving, but do not lead to a significant number of actual arrests.
However, before a police officer may stop a motorist, the officer must have probable cause, meaning that the officer must observe a traffic infraction or erratic driving consistent with potential impairment. Often the basis for the traffic stop at times of increased CHP activity is minor and can be challenged in a court of law. When the police are looking to pull people over for any reason, sometimes they are pulled over for no reason at all. In this circumstance, any chemical test evidence taken from the suspect following an unlawful detention is inadmissible in evidence.
If you have any questions about DUI defense in Los Angeles, please call DUI lawyers at Gold & Witham for a free case evaluation.