CHULA VISTA, Calif. — The Chula Vista Police Department is cracking down on drunk driving this holiday weekend.
Officers will be out in full force stopping impaired drivers at special DUI checkpoints throughout the county.
“There’s no reason to put yourself in that situation,” said Sergeant Matt Coulson.
According to the American Automobile Association, 3.3 million southern Californians will travel for Memorial Day weekend.
“The roadways become severely impacted there’s obviously more cars out on the roads," said Sgt. Coulson.
With more people out on the roads, Coulson says it’s imperative that people make the right decision.
"We just caution those people if you are going to be drinking, again, try to find another way to get down to where you’re trying to go than driving your vehicle," he continued.
California ranks second in the country for the highest number of Memorial Day traffic fatalities over the last decade.
The deadliest day of the holiday weekend overall is Saturday. The deadliest hours are between 6 pm and 3 am.
"If you’re impaired and your reaction time is slowed down or you don’t see the green light or that red light, you run through that stop sign, it could have severe, severe consequences later down the road," said Coulson.
Coulson says officers will show zero tolerance for anyone driving under the influence.
"If people recognize that we are going to be out here in force, and it is zero tolerance, it might make people think twice if they’ve been drinking a little too much," he added.