Leaders of the three state police agencies along the West Coast are issuing a challenge to drivers: “Arrive Alive on I-5” this holiday weekend. On Monday, November 25, 2013, the leaders from California Highway Patrol (CHP), Washington State Patrol (WSP), and Oregon State Police (OSP) announced they are joining forces for the “I-5 Challenge”, encouraging drivers to get through the Thanksgiving Holiday extended weekend period with zero fatalities on Interstate 5 (I-5). Starting Wednesday, November 27, state law enforcement officers from San Diego, California, through Oregon, and up to Bellingham, Washington, will be targeting enforcement efforts on the road. Using a mix of enforcement to get voluntary compliance of traffic laws and education outreach, the message will kick off one of the busiest travel times of the year on our nation’s highways during the Thanksgiving Holiday period (6:00 p.m., Wednesday, November 27, through 11:59 p.m., Sunday, December 1). CHP, WSP and OSP officers will focus on traffic crash-causing violations that are known to be factors that often lead to tragedies and end in people not arriving safely to their destinations. Speed, aggressive and distracted driving often top the list, along with driving while impaired and failing to use safety belts and child safety seats. Four simple strategies for drivers this holiday weekend can help you and your state’s law enforcement officers keep our highways safer: * Slow down; * Pack your patience; * Drive sober; * Buckle up. “Speed continues to be a leading killer on our highways and, mixed with aggressive driving, it is even more deadly,” said CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow. “This weekend, plan ahead and allow yourself extra time to reach your destination. Dangerous driving will not get you there sooner; it just creates hazardous driving conditions for you and everyone else on the road.” OSP Superintendent Richard Evans emphasized that all three agencies are joining highway safety partners and law enforcement organizations across the country on the lookout for impaired drivers.
