The California Highway Patrol (CHP) and the Nevada Highway Patrol (NHP) are cracking down on distracted and reckless drivers on I-80 this weekend.
The enhanced enforcement effort is called the “I-80 Challenge” and it is taking place now through Monday, September 3 from San Francisco, California to the Nevada/Utah state line. The I-80 Challenge will overlap with the CHP’s Labor Day Maximum Enforcement Period (MEP), which kicks off at 6:01 p.m. on Friday. CHP says that they will be monitoring both commercial and passenger vehicles during the campaign.
During the I-80 enforcement effort, troopers will be on the look out for all types of dangerous driving behaviors like texting behind the wheel, speeding, and aggressive driving. CHP says that they will “take appropriate enforcement action on drivers who violate traffic laws along Interstate 80 from San Francisco through Berkeley, Vallejo, Davis, Sacramento, Truckee, and Northern Nevada all the way to the Utah state line.”
The Donner Pass division of the CHP said in a Facebook post about the I-80 Challenge, “As professional drivers it is imperative that you set the example. Drive the speed limit and stay off your phone while driving.”
The “I-80 Challenge” is a response to the August 10 death of CHP officer Kirk Griess, who was killed while conducting a traffic stop along I-80.
“In the wake of the recent loss of one of our officers and the motorist he had contacted on the shoulder of I-80, we are pleased to partner with the Nevada Highway Patrol and other Northern California law enforcement agencies in challenging all motorists to drive safely,” said CHP Commissioner Warren Stanley. “We hope to accomplish our goal by educating motorists about the leading causes of traffic collisions and encouraging motorists to follow the rules of the road and drive safely.