SAN DIEGO — California Highway Patrol officers have arrested more than 600 people suspected of driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol statewide during the department's annual Labor Day weekend enforcement campaign, figures authorities will update later Monday.
The maximum enforcement period got underway at 6 p.m. Friday and concludes at 11:59 p.m. Monday with all available officers being deployed for targeted patrols.
The CHP reported at 10:30 a.m. Sunday it had made 607 arrests statewide. A breakdown of numbers for Los Angeles and other counties was not available.
"Alcohol- and drug-impaired driving continues to be a leading cause of traffic fatalities and injuries in California, and the moment an impaired driver gets behind the wheel, they put themselves and every other person on the road in great danger," CHP Commissioner Amanda Ray said.
"The CHP is committed to enforcement and non-enforcement strategies, including education and community engagement, to ensure the highest level of safety for everyone traveling throughout California during the holiday," Ray continued.
During the 2021 Labor Day weekend, officers statewide arrested 985 motorists on suspicion of driving under the influence, compared to 900 taken into custody during the same period in 2020.
Forty-three people died in wrecks throughout California over Labor Day weekend in 2021, the agency said.
Officials noted that with most CHP officers and sergeants certified as "drug recognition experts," they are equipped to spot motorists under the influence of marijuana and other drugs.
Many other Southland law enforcement agencies were involved in the anti-DUI patrols countywide.
The efforts coincide with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's ongoing "Drive Sober, or Get Pulled Over" campaign nationwide.
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