CHP to hold ‘Maximum Enforcement Period’ during the holidays

The California Highway Patrol has announced the return of their annual Christmas crackdown on drunken and drug-impaired drivers.

The holiday “maximum enforcement period” will start at 6 pm on Tuesday and will continue until late Wednesday night. All available officers will deploy during the MEP to catch DUI suspects, speeders and other traffic violators.

“Our goal at the CHP is for everyone to get home safe,” CHP Commissioner Warren Stanley said in a press release. “When a person chooses to drink and drive, it not only puts their safety at risk, but it endangers the life of everyone on the road with them. We encourage the public to help us save lives and remove these dangerous drivers from the roadway by reporting them to 9-1-1.”

A total 16 people died and 350 others were injured in collisions on roads and highways under the CHP’s jurisdiction during the 2018 Christmas holiday period, according to the agency.

Officers from the Riverside, Beaumont, Blythe, Indio and Temecula CHP stations will be on freeways, highways and unincorporated roads in Riverside County during the campaign.