Highway 17 dangers, the CHP responds

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, Calif. (KION-TV) -- Highway 17 in the Santa Cruz Mountains is known to be a dangerous stretch of road.

Now, the CHP is cracking down on risky driving in that area.

"We are going to have more officers on Highway 17 and throughout the county, also Highway 1," said Officer Israel Murillo. "We are going to be using our social media to notify the public if it’s raining that morning please slow down, be patient, leave space in between yourself and other vehicles." 

Highway 17 -- one of the fastest routes between Santa Cruz and Silicon Valley -- becomes particularly dangerous when navigated by impatient drivers and heavy traffic.

Its sharp curves add to the notoriously dangerous commute. 

"There’s been numerous accidents over the years and usually it’s somebody tailgating or going too fast or cutting somebody off… things like that," said one commuter Denine Polito.

”Theres always been a lot of accidents and there’s always been a lot of traffic because of the accidents and I think they made a lot of improvements over the years," said another commuter David Lively. "It’s overall a lot safer than what it used to be.”

For thousands of people, Highway 17 is a daily reality, and the CHP says the key to fewer accidents is not changing the road itself, but changing driver behavior. 

"When you’re stuck in traffic, please be patient," says Officer Murillo. "Be respectful, be courteous... because sometimes when people are impatient they make mistakes such as cutting people off, unsafe lane changes, which results in highway violence.”

Officer Murillo reminding drivers that slowing down and driving responsibly can save lives.