Law Enforcement to be Out in Force for Memorial Weekend Enforcement

With millions of Southern California residents expected to travel for the Memorial Day weekend — and with millions more likely to celebrate with gatherings, barbecues and summer parties — law enforcement will be out in force this weekend, starting Friday, in search of impaired drivers.

The California Highway Patrol will begin its traditional “maximum enforcement period” at 6 p.m., with all available officers hitting the streets to catch impaired motorists, as well as other traffic violators. The crackdown will conclude at 11:59 p.m. Monday.

“Memorial Day should be a time for honoring our fallen heroes and spending time with loved ones,” CHP Commissioner Amanda Ray said. “It should never be marked by tragedy caused by car crashes. Please buckle up, follow all traffic laws and arrive at your destination safely.”

Ray said seatbelt safety will be among the enforcement priorities, as the agency continues a weeks-long “Click It or Ticket” campaign sponsored by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Local law enforcement agencies across the Southland will also be stepping up patrols for the holiday weekend.

On Friday the Pasadena Police Department will conduct a bicycle and pedestrian safety operation focused on the most dangerous driver behaviors on May 27.

The operation will focus on actions and behaviors that put the safety of people biking or walking at risk, including speeding, making illegal turns, failing to yield or provide the right of way to bicyclists or pedestrians, or failing to stop for signs and signals, according to Lt. Sam Sylva.

“Since we’ve been coming out of the pandemic just one of the trends that we have been seeing is we have seen a big increase in general for accidents pedestrian-involved fatalities or fatalities in general. So that’s concerning,” Sylva said.

During last year’s Memorial Day weekend enforcement effort, the CHP arrested 979 motorists on suspicion of drunk or drug-impaired driving, compared to 854 in 2020.

Thirty-five vehicle occupants were killed in collisions investigated by the CHP during the 2021 operation. According to the agency, almost two-thirds of the victims were not wearing safety restraints of any kind.

The enforcement period will coincide with sobriety checkpoints and saturation patrols planned in a number of municipalities and in unincorporated communities countywide patrolled by sheriff’s deputies.