Memorial Day Weekend traffic causes headaches
Brake lights for miles on the Central Coast. This Memorial Day weekend has been a busy one for law enforcement as they crack down on unsafe driving, including DUI enforcement.
The proof is in the numbers. Last year, 40 people were killed in crashes across the state over Memorial Day weekend.
Drivers stuck in traffic on Monday may be surprised to learn a lot of traffic across the Central Coast didn’t have much to do with an accident.
A ten mile stretch of Highway 101 northbound, from Laurel Drive in Salinas to Crazy Horse Canyon Road in Prunedale. Bumper to bumper traffic as far as the eye could see. Yet according to the CHP Traffic Incident Information Page, there were only minor traffic incidents to speak of during the time we were on the road.
So, we did a little test. We drove a work car to see how long it would take to get through traffic. It took about fifty minutes, yet break lights were still further up the freeway. It gave us a first-hand look at why some choose to avoid the highway on a holiday weekend.
In Santa Clara County, a campaign called Avoid the 13, brought 13 law enforcement agencies together for a DUI crackdown. Enforcement officers said from Friday night to Sunday night, 59 drivers were arrested for a DUI. That’s down from last year’s 62 arrests.
From Friday to Monday, only one major traffic crash to speak of along Highway 9 in Santa Cruz County. CHP said all lanes were closed for about two hours Sunday night. We’re still waiting for DUI numbers and information from CHP for Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Benito counties.
