The California Highway Patrol will implement a Maximum Enforcement Period (MEP) statewide to stop drunk driving during the Labor Day weekend
“We’re putting as many officers on the road as possible. Drunk driving is our most prevalent crime. There’s no reason to drive under the influence with ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft. But people are still doing it,” said Officer Kylie Musselman.
Labor Day Weekend is notoriously deadly on the roads for drunk drivers. Thirty-eight people died in crashes across California over the holiday weekend last year, according to the CHP. During last year’s enforcement period, the CHP made 1,064 DUI arrests.
While they’ll be putting extra emphasis on their mission to keep drunk drivers off the road this weekend, Musselman says doing it every day is what inspired her to follow in her family’s footsteps and join CHP.
“Officer Camilleri was out of the Hayward CHP office. He died on December 24, 2017, after being hit by a drunk driver while he was on duty. I’ll never forget seeing that on the news on Christmas Eve. That was the moment I decided I wanted to be a CHP officer,” she said.
She hopes she can ensure that fewer families have to go through what Alec Flores’ family experiences every day.
“The reason we do so much enforcement and issue so many tickets is to get those contacts and talk to people and hopefully catch them before those accidents happen. We’re not trying to ruin lives. We’re trying to save lives,” she said.
She hopes she can ensure that fewer families have to go through what Alec Flores’ family experiences every day.
“In October it will be five years since my son was murdered. We miss him every day. Five years seems like a long time, but it also seems like a moment,” said Tara Repka Flores.
Alec was on his way to school when a drunk driver hit and killed himHe was 13 years old and had a promising future ahead of him.
“Alec was an athlete, I can tell you that. He wrestled, he played soccer, he rode his bike. He had great intensity, but he was also just a kid. He loved hanging out with his friends and being silly and goofy. He was just a great kid,” she said.
Tara Flores, who is now a national ambassador for Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), doesn’t want the same thing to happen to another family as hers.
“Every time I hear that someone else has done this, it breaks my heart. I want this to stop. Before you go anywhere, plan how you’re going to get home safely,” she said.
She says it is the responsibility of every individual to prevent such tragedies.
“Nobody wants to go out on the road and kill a 13-year-old kid. But any time you drink and drive, you can become that person. Each of us has a responsibility not to drink and drive,” Flores said.
She is also optimistic about a bill signed into law in 2021 that has seen the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) enter the regulatory phase.
“I think the HALT Act can change the future of people in our communities. I think it can end drunk driving as we know it,” she said.
Musselman believes that drunk driving and the loss of life it can cause are completely preventable.
“It’s not a question of if they’re going to have an accident or cause an accident, it’s a question of when. For people who drive drunk, it’s often not the first time they’ve done it, it’s the first time they’ve been caught. Or maybe the second, third or fourth time,” she said.
She shared some information that she hopes all drivers will remember.
“The absorption of alcohol is different for everyone. But the dissipation is the same. It leaves the body at 0.02% per hour. So if you’re a 0.20 and you wait five hours, you’re still a 0.10 – you’re still over the legal limit,” she said.
“People just think, ‘Oh, I got five hours of sleep, I feel great, or I had a greasy cheeseburger. All these myths about things that will sober you up. But the fact is, the only thing that will sober you up is time,'” she said.
However, she is aware that some people still choose to drink and drive, and she takes great pride in her continued responsibility, which extends into the holiday weekend and beyond.
“I’m in a perfect position to do something about it,” she said.
The MEP will begin on Friday, August 30 at 6:01 p.m. and will last until Monday, September 2 at 11:59 p.m.
