Thanksgiving is one of the busiest travel days in the United States. AAA estimates that some 54.6 million people have travel plans for the holiday, and 49 million Americans will choose to travel on our streets and highways.
NBC Los Angeles reports that officers with the California Highway Patrol (CHP) will be conducting saturation patrols across the state of California just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.
CHP spokesperson Fran Calder said in a statement, ”As millions of motorists head out for the Thanksgiving holiday, the CHP is prepared for one of the busiest travel weekends in America,“ Calder said. “Unfortunately, in the past, Thanksgiving has been one of the deadlier holidays on our roadways.”
In a recent press release, the CHP said that officers would begin their “maximum enforcement period” on Wednesday, November 26, at 6:00 p.m. and conclude at 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, November 27.
The CHP, along with other coordinating California law enforcement agencies, will be looking for unsafe driving practices, including speeding, impaired or intoxicated driving, and vehicle occupants who are not buckled up.
CHP Commissioner Warrant Stanley advises that holiday travel is stressful. By putting some simple safety measures in place, “motorists can keep themselves and others safe on the road this weekend.”
During the 2021 Thanksgiving holiday, the CHP arrested 931 people on suspicion of DUI. During that weekend, a total of 42 people died in collisions.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), nearly half of those killed in collisions in the U.S. were not wearing a seatbelt at the time.
