More than 300 motorists have been arrested on suspicion of drunken or drugged driving so far during the busy Thanksgiving travel week, with officers out in force statewide, the California Highway Patrol said Friday.
At least 314 DUI arrests have been made since CHP began what it calls maximum enforcement at 6 p.m. Wednesday, the agency said in a tweet.
Over the same period, at least eight people died in traffic collisions on roads patrolled by state officers, CHP said.
The maximum enforcement, which will continue until midnight Sunday, is designed to help all motorists reach their destinations.
“Historically speaking, (Thanksgiving week) tends to be one of the more dangerous time periods, because there’s a lot more people traveling — there’s a lot more people celebrating,” CHP Officer John Fransen told KTLA sister station KRON in San Francisco earlier this week.
Last year, CHP officers made 931 DUI arrests over the holiday weekend.
Another 59 people were killed in crashes last year, with 43% of the vehicle occupants who died not wearing seatbelts, the agency said.
“Most important, before you head out, ensure everyone inside the vehicle has their seat belt on, and if there are children along for the ride, check that they are secure in the back seat in the appropriate child safety seat,” CHP Commissioner Warren Stanley said in a statement.
