LAKE COUNTY — The California Highway Patrol (CHP) is giving thanks this holiday season for drivers who play by the rules and help make the state”s roads safer. “Our message is simple ? drive safe, drive sober and buckle up,” said Lt. Dane Hayward, Commander of the Clear Lake Area.
The official Thanksgiving holiday driving period begins Wednesday, Nov. 21 at 6 p.m. and continues through Sunday, Nov. 25. During this time the CHP will implement the Maximum Enforcement Period (MEP), putting every available officer on the road.
Travel via car or plane increases this weekend and lasts through New Year”s day. If you plan on flying to avoid traffic-tangled roads, arrive at least three hours early at the airport. Experts predict 27 million passengers will fly during this holiday season, up four percent from last year. Planes are expected to be 90 percent full, and longer security checkpoints will be typical.
The three busiest travel days are expected to be Sunday, Nov. 25, Monday, Nov. 26 and Wednesday, Nov. 21, respectively. A good time to travel to avoid the rush is to depart for your destination Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 22 and return on Saturday, Nov. 24 or wait until later in the week after Monday to go home.
“Be prepared for traffic tie-ups, especially on the Wednesday before or the Sunday after Thanksgiving,” Hayward said.
In addition to busy roadways, inclement weather is another factor motorists may have to contend with. It is imperative to avoid speeding during the holiday rush of traffic. Rain, fog, wind and snow have been known to create not only frustrating, but hazardous conditions for drivers.
“Many crashes are caused by driving too fast for current conditions,” Hayward added.
Last year, during the Thanksgiving MEP, 42 people died in 4,768 collisions that occurred in California. More than half of the vehicle occupants killed were not wearing their seat belts. In Lake County last year during Thanksgiving MEP, there were 70 DUI arrests and 10 traffic collisions, a number higher than the previous weekends. The first two weekends in Oct. last year there were 9 DUI arrests and 13 traffic collisions.
CHP officer Adam Garcia said summer time is the highest traffic incident season due to tourist traffic, but the holiday season also brings heavy traffic, and usually a higher number of DUI arrests and traffic collisions than non-holiday weekends.
Another sobering statistic, 1,670 people were arrested by CHP officers for driving under the influence last year over the Thanksgiving holiday; a nearly 10 percent increase from the same time period the previous year.
The Thanksgiving MEP is also an Operation CARE (Combined Accident Reduction Effort) holiday. Operation CARE is a joint program of the nation”s highway patrols that promotes safe driving on interstate highways during holiday periods. CARE highways in California include Interstates 80, 40 and 15?from San Bernardino to the Nevada border and Interstate 5, from Bakersfield north to the Oregon state line.
Contact Elizabeth Wilson at ewilson@record-bee.com.
