California Highway Patrol officers will ramp up patrols across Los Angeles and Orange counties, and statewide, starting Thursday evening as part of the agency’s annual Fourth of July weekend crackdown on drunken and drug-impaired driving.
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 maximum enforcement period, 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 in Los Angeles and Orange counties will again deploy on freeways, highways and unincorporated roads.
Duryee said officers will take a zero-tolerance approach to any driving behavior that puts others at risk, with a major focus on speeding.
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.
Meanwhile, sheriff’s departments in Los Angeles and Orange counties, along with multiple municipal police departments, will conduct saturation patrols throughout the holiday weekend to catch DUI suspects and other violators.