Millions of people are already hitting California's roadways for the Thanksgiving holiday and the California Highway Patrol is preparing to serve its annual Thanksgiving maximum enforcement period.
This safety effort begins Wednesday evening and it aims to reduce the number of crashes, injuries, and deaths during one of the year’s busiest travel periods.
Just after 6 p.m. on Nov. 22, an increased staff of California Highway Patrol officers is expected to roam the state's highways through Sunday before midnight.
Their goal? To enforce traffic safety laws and actively search for unsafe driving behaviors — which included impaired or distracted driving.
Santa Maria's California Highway Patrol Public Information Officer, Maria Barriga recommends giving yourself enough time when heading to or from your holiday destination.
“During the Thanksgiving holiday there is increased traffic,” said Barriga. “We do see people that are running late and speeding in and out of traffic and we really want to avoid that. That’s why we are pushing to leave early and to be a cautious driver.”
For those who are planning on drinking alcoholic beverages, Officer Barriga says this could lead to serious consequences.
Last year, California Highway Patrol officers made more than 1,000 arrests of those who were driving under the influence during the four-day enforcement period.
“We recommend that you drive sober,” said Barriga. “One drink or two drinks may affect you as a driver and instead of taking that chance of having an issue while you’re driving or getting a DUI. Drive sober. Find a designated driver. If you don’t have one, call an Uber. Just get home safely. That’s what we want for this holiday season.”
Madalyn Lowry, who lives in Santa Maria, says she tries to avoid high peak times on the road during the holidays.
“I try to go either earlier in the morning wherever I’m going,” said Lowry. “Whether I’m traveling or even going out grocery shopping whatever I have to do or later in the night like a lot later than 7 o’clock to avoid any kind of traffic or a cluster of people.”
According to CHP, last year, 37 people were killed in crashes across the state and more than 8,600 citations were issued to drivers for speeding and seat belt violations.
Barriga says drivers should be patient and take precautions.
“Take your time to wherever you need to go. Make sure that you’re buckled up. That your children are buckled up, that you’re using car seats properly,” said Barriga. “Accidents do happen unfortunately and we want to avoid those but if something does happen, make sure that you’re protected within your car.”
Barriga recommends calling 911 immediately if you see drunk driving or reckless driving on the roadways.
