For further information, contact:
Jan Ford, Public Information
Avoid the 8-Law Enforcement in San Francisco
(650) 322-9121
Cell: (650) 269-2148

SAN FRANCISCO DUI SATURATION PATROL, SOBRIETY CHECKPOINT, CHP MAXIMUM FREEWAY ENFORCEMENT SET FOR MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND

 Intense DUI enforcement is set for the four-day Memorial Day weekend, May 28 to 31, in San Francisco by Avoid the 8, the city’s multi-jurisdictional crackdown.

California Highway Patrol officers from the Marin and San Francisco squads will saturate the freeways throughout the weekend, according to Capt. Paul Fontana of the San Francisco office. The Marin office is responsible for the approaches to the Golden Gate Bridge and the bridge itself.

Saturday night will see a DUI motorcycle saturation patrol and a sobriety and driver’s license checkpoint, said SFPD traffic Sgt. Neil Swendsen.

“Thousands of people will be on the road for the first long weekend of the summer, and they drive so often that they can forget that it’s the most dangerous thing most people do. Paying attention is everything. Keep your eyes on the road, keep your hands on the wheel and keep your mind on your driving,” Swendsen commented.

“People get distracted by eating or drinking, talking to their passengers, reading a map, or changing the radio station, the CD or the Mp3 player. Distracted driving can get you hurt or killed as easily as drunk driving can,” he said.

Nearly 6,000 people died in such crashes in 2008, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which funds Avoid the 8 through the California Office of Traffic Safety.

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