CHP's Fourth of July Enforcement Campaign Starts Tonight

RIVERSIDE (CNS) - California Highway Patrol officers will ramp up
patrols on state highways and roads across Riverside County starting tonight to
catch drunken and drug-impaired drivers as part of the agency's annual Fourth
of July weekend crackdown.
  

The statewide ``maximum enforcement period'' will begin at 6 p.m.
Thursday and conclude at 11:59 p.m. Sunday, during which all available officers
will hit the streets for targeted patrols.
  

``Reckless driving and speeding have deadly consequences,'' CHP
Commissioner Sean Duryee said. ``It's every driver's responsibility to make
safe choices behind the wheel. Let's work together to prevent tragedies by
always designating a sober driver and keeping our roads safe for everyone.''
  

During last year's Independence Day MEP, officers arrested 1,336
motorists on suspicion of DUI statewide, compared to 1,224 arrests that
occurred during the 2023 campaign, according to the CHP.
  

Forty-nine people were killed in crashes within the CHP's jurisdiction
during the 2024 Fourth of July weekend. That figure was 68 the year before.
  

Officers from the Beaumont, Blythe, Indio, Riverside and Temecula CHP
stations will deploy on Inland Empire freeways, highways and unincorporated
roads for this year's effort.
  

Duryee said personnel will take a zero tolerance approach to any
roadway actions that put other drivers at risk, but speeding will be a major
focus. A two-day enforcement action by the CHP in early June netted over 12,000
speeding citations statewide, according to the agency.
  

``Every additional mile per hour reduces a driver's reaction time and
increases the severity of the crash,'' Duryee said previously.
  

The Riverside County Sheriff's Department and multiple municipal
police departments throughout the county will be carrying out saturation
patrols and sobriety checkpoints over the holiday weekend to snare DUI suspects
and other scofflaws.
  

``Designating a sober driver is a simple choice that can save a
person's life -- and the lives of others on the road,'' sheriff's Sgt. Bill
Pratt said. ``Drunk driving is 100% preventable. We're asking everyone to think
of their loved ones, friends and family before getting behind the wheel. Plan
to get home safely.''
  

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