CHP Out in Force During Memorial Day Weekend
Maximum Enforcement Period Puts All Available Officers on the Road
The California Highway Patrol (CHP) announced on Tuesday that the upcoming Memorial Day weekend is a Maximum Enforcement Period (MEP) for the organization – from 6 p.m. on Friday, May 22 to midnight on Monday, May 25 all available CHP officers will be patrolling the roadways in an effort to increases holiday travel safety.
“Memorial Day weekend can be a safe celebration for everyone,” said CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow in a written statement. “It’s about making sound decisions and planning ahead before you head out on the highway, for example wearing your seat belt and designating a non-drinking driver beforehand.”
The CHP’s maximum enforcement effort is part of the state’s recently launched 2009 Next Generation Click It or Ticket campaign and is supported by the $3 million in traffic safety grants awarded to the CHP by the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTC) through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
During the 2008 Memorial Day weekend, 38 people died on California’s roadways; 68 percent of those killed were not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash.
“Many of those deaths could have been easily avoided by taking just one second to buckle a seat belt,” stated Commissioner Farrow in a recent press release. “Unfortunately, too many motorists still need a reminder, which is why our officers will be on the lookout for those who are not buckled up.”
