A long weekend is in store for this Fourth of July. The heat is pushing people to the coast and the Central Coast is a popular destination.
That’s the case for Marco Duran who traveled from Fontana in San Bernardino County to Pismo Beach.
“We’ve been there several times over the years, and they always have good weather,” said Duran.
The American Automobile Association (AAA) estimates 43.2 million people will be driving to their destination. That’s 2.4% higher than in 2022 and 4% higher than in 2019, according to AAA.
“The fun part is getting out and doing things that you normally don't do,” said Duran. “The gas prices are a little high, makes it a little bit harder, most families can't afford it, but fortunately, we're able to, you know, take a couple of trips a year.”
Starting Friday evening, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) is having a statewide maximum enforcement period — meaning all available officers will be on duty.
According to the CHP, 44 people were killed in crashes in California during last year’s Fourth of July weekend. They said they also arrested nearly 1,000 people in California for driving under the influence.
“Keeping the public safe … how we do that is looking for primary collision factors whether that be speeding, aggressive driving, obviously distracted driving, a big one,” said Officer Miguel Alvarez, CHP SLO public information officer.
CHP reports that during Memorial Day weekend last month, there were five fatal collisions and 109 DUI arrests within the Coastal Division which stretches from Santa Cruz to Moorpark.
“If you see a motorist that might be swerving from side to side that you believe to be in toxic ID, definitely call 911, and you always want to have the vehicle description readily available and the location, so you can relate that over to the dispatcher that's taking the phone call,” added Officer Alvarez.
If you are drinking this weekend, CHP recommends having a plan to get to your destination safely, which can be having a designated driver or using a rideshare app.
CHP’s maximum enforcement period ends on July 4 at 11:59 p.m.
