According to data collected by the National Safety Council (NSC), the risks of getting into a severe accident during the Memorial Day weekend are significantly higher than on other summer holidays such as Independence Day. It is also far more significant than other popular holidays, including Thanksgiving, Christmas, or even New Year’s Day. The NSC estimates each year there are between 368 and 640 traffic fatalities during this holiday across the country.
CBS Sacramento reported on Tuesday that the California Patrol made nearly 900 arrests of motorists on suspicion of DUI over the Memorial Day holiday weekend.
A spokesperson from the California Highway Patrol headquarters stated on Monday night that preliminary reports indicate that 891 arrests were made during what the agency refers to as a “maximum enforcement period.” The maximum enforcement period began at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, May 27.
The CHP continued the heightened enforcement period until 11:59 p.m. on Monday, May 30.
Along with the near-record number of arrests, 15 people died in collisions on California roads over the Memorial Day holiday.
The number of arrests for Memorial Day weekend 2022 is down from a year ago. In 2021, CHP officers arrested 979 motorists for DUI, and 35 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes. The law enforcement agency reports that 63% of those fatalities in 2021 were not wearing their seatbelts at the time.
