The California Highway Patrol will be intensifying its operations in the San Diego area for three days starting Friday as part of its annual efforts to get intoxicated motorists off the county's roadways over the Labor Day weekend.
During the maximum enforcement period, scheduled to run from 6 p.m. Friday to 11:59 p.m. Monday, all available CHP officers will be on duty, scouting local freeways and rural routes for DUI offenders, the state agency advised.
"Alcohol- and drug-impaired driving continues to be a leading cause of traffic fatalities and injuries in California, and the moment an impaired driver gets behind the wheel, they put themselves and every other person on the road in great danger," CHP Commissioner Amanda Ray said.
"The CHP is committed to enforcement and non-enforcement strategies, including education and community engagement, to ensure the highest level of safety for everyone traveling throughout California during the holiday," Ray continued.
Over the Labor Day weekend in 2021, CHP officers statewide arrested 985 motorists on suspicion of driving under the influence, 85 more than during the comparable period in 2020.
With most CHP officers officially certified as "drug-recognition experts," they are well-equipped to spot motorists under the influence of marijuana and other non-alcohol intoxicants, officials with the agency asserted.
The efforts coincide with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's ongoing "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" nationwide campaign.
