Courtesy of the California Highway Patrol:
The Coastal Division of the California Highway Patrol stretches along the US 101 corridor from Hollister-Gilroy to Moorpark, well over 300 miles of highly travelled roadway, and is comprised of eleven CHP Area patrol offices.
Thanksgiving weekend, one of the busiest travel times in the country, can also be the deadliest. This year, all Area offices within Coastal Division have teamed up to help motorists avoid tragedies by having all available officers on patrol for a Maximum Enforcement Corridor Operation (MECO) along US 101, with a focus on service and enforcement operations.
This MECO will take place on November 25th, the day before Thanksgiving, which in the past has traditionally been the busiest travel day of the holiday period. During this MECO, Area officers and supervisors will be concentrating efforts on US 101 to educate motorists and enforce traffic safety laws throughout the Division. Officers will be actively looking for unsafe driving, including seat belt violations, speed, distracted driving, and signs of impairment.
On the day before Thanksgiving last year, Coastal Division responded to 52 traffic collisions, including seven with injuries, and one crash involving an intoxicated driver. Coastal Division will be working hard to ensure the number of crashes do not increase this year.
“The mission of the California Highway Patrol is to provide the highest level of Safety, Service, and Security with the primary goal of protecting and saving lives,” said Coastal Division Chief LD Maples. “To that end, for those who chose to travel this Thanksgiving, help us out; be mindful of and respectful to fellow drivers on the roadways; wear your seatbelts; and do not drive while distracted or intoxicated. We wish everyone a safe and healthy Thanksgiving Holiday.”
