California Highway Patrol officers will ramp up operations again in Los Angeles and Orange counties, and statewide, beginning Wednesday night to crack down on drunken and drug-impaired motorists as part of a New Year’s anti-DUI campaign.
The CHP will initiate its New Year’s “Holiday Enforcement Period” at 6 p.m. Wednesday, when all available officers will deploy to catch impaired motorists, speeders and other traffic violators.
The campaign, which replicates a 30-hour HEP that occurred during Christmas, will continue until late Thursday night.
“We’re entering a New Year, but our message stays the same: Driving under the influence increases the risks on our roads, raises the chance of a crash and puts lives in danger,” CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee said Monday.
“We encourage everyone to do their part in keeping our roads safe by making responsible choices behind the wheel.”
The 2024-25 New Year’s HEP netted 481 arrests statewide, compared to 892 during the 2023-24 campaign, according to the CHP.
As in the case for this year’s deployment, last year’s campaign was abridged due to the holiday falling midweek. However, in 2023-24, the effort spanned three full days and nights because it was a holiday weekend.