The California Highway Patrol will begin its Thanksgiving holiday Maximum Enforcement Period on Wednesday, November 21st at 6:00p.m. and it will be in effect until Sunday, November 25th, at midnight.
“Motorists are less likely to encounter one of our officers by simply wearing their seat belt,” said CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow. “Not only does the law require everyone inside the vehicle to be properly secured, seat belts are your best line of defense in a collision.”
According to the Highway Patrol collisions increased significantly during last year’s Thanksgiving holiday. Thirty-two people were killed in collisions on California’s highways last year, a 52 percent increase from the previous year’s numbers.
According to the CHP, two-thirds of the people killed in collisions within CHP’s jurisdiction last year were not wearing a seat belt.
“Although the majority of motorists in California are buckling up every time they get into a vehicle, there is still a small portion of the motoring public that need this reminder,” added Farrow said. “By not wearing your seat belt, the risk of death or injury in a collision substantially increases.”
During the 2011 Thanksgiving holiday, CHP made 1,475 arrests for driving under the influence. The CHP encourages everyone to report unsafe or impaired drivers by calling 9-1-1.
