CHP statewide holiday maximum enforcement continues for holiday weekend

SAN DIEGO (CNS) - California Highway Patrol officers Saturday will continue their concentrated operations on highways, freeways and roads throughout San Diego County and statewide as part of a Memorial Day weekend campaign to snare drunken and other unsafe drivers.

The CHP began its holiday weekend "maximum enforcement period'' at 6 p.m. Friday, with all available officers hitting the streets to catch impaired motorists, as well as other traffic violators. The crackdown will conclude at 11:59 p.m. Monday.

"Loss of life on our roads is preventable when drivers make safe and responsible choices behind the wheel,'' CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee said in a statement. "Always remember to drive sober, avoid distraction, adhere to the speed limit, and ensure adults are buckled up and children are properly secured in an appropriate car seat.''

During last year's Memorial Day weekend enforcement effort, the CHP arrested just over 1,100 motorists on suspicion of drunken or drug-impaired driving, compared to roughly 900 in 2022, officials said.

Forty-six vehicle occupants were killed in collisions investigated by the CHP and other agencies during the 2023 operation -- one more than the number who died in 2022.