CHP stepping up patrols for Memorial Day Weekend
CHP stepping up patrols for Memorial Day Weekend
Although travel may be down this Memorial Day, weekend because of the coronavirus pandemic, California Highway Patrol officers throughout the state, including the Southland, will still be on the job,
LOS ANGELES - You may want to take it easy on the roads this weekend in Southern California.
California Highway Patrol says more officers will be out on the roads looking for violators.
Los Angeles is known for bumper-to-bumper traffic on freeways, but over the course of the pandemic, commuters haven’t seen that usual congestion.
With more people staying at home, the CHP says speeding citations have more than doubled compared to this time last year by 113 percent. It’s all been a byproduct of the novel coronavirus with drivers barreling down Southern California roads as though speed limits have been eliminated.
“I drive often so the roads are amazing right now”, said West Hollywood resident Emer Rose. "I get to drive a little faster than what I should be."
Beginning Friday evening, CHP will initiate what it calls a “Maximum Enforcement Period,” with officers out in full force looking for speeders, impaired drivers, and other violators.
“No matter what else changes in our world, the people of California can always count on the CHP to provide the highest level of Safety, Service and Security,” CHP Commissioner Warren Stanley said. “We will continue to enforce the traffic laws, help motorists who are in trouble, and educate people about the dangers of distracted and impaired driving.”
The focus of the Memorial Day MEP, which runs from 6 p.m. on Friday, May 22, to 11:59 p.m. on Monday, May 25, is seatbelt usage. During the 2019 Memorial Day MEP, 34 people died in traffic collisions in California. Of the 21 vehicle occupants killed in CHP jurisdiction, 10 we’re not wearing seatbelts. The 2019 MEP also recorded 1,099 arrests by CHP officers for driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol.
AAA says the Memorial Day weekend is likely to set record lows. For the first time in 20 years, the agency says it won’t even try to guess Memorial Day travel this year due to the pandemic.