Tuolumne County’s Virtual Ride Along With The Local CHP

Sonora, CA — A “typical” day for a California Highway Patrol Officer can have a wide range of meanings.

According to Officer Brad Schultz typical can often times be dangerous. In the course of one evening Schultz pulled over several drivers for speeding and issued numerous citations, but in the same shift he stopped to help three stranded motorists, called for tow trucks, and even assisted an out-of-towner whose truck starter caught on fire.

Although the click it or ticket campaign is over, Schultz didn´t think twice before pulling a man over in Tuolumne City for none other than a seat belt violation. Schultz explained that sometimes it is just as effective for him to be visible on the road or the shoulder to slow down traffic, as is it to pull over an individual car for speeding.

He added that the speed limits are in place for safety reasons and if they are followed it shouldn´t matter whether a car comes over a hill or around a curve to be met with a radar gun, or a stalled out vehicle, the speed and reaction time should be the same.

One officer said that working a shift as the CHP is like deep sea fishing, calm and serene at one moment, and exciting and dangerous the next.