DUI A Majority Of MEP Arrests

Sonora, CA – Driving under the influence (DUI) topped the arrests for the CHP’s New Year holiday Maximum Enforcement Period (MEP) in the state and Tuolumne and Calaveras counties.

The MEP ran from 6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 31 to midnight on Sunday, Jan. 2nd. Over that three-day period, all available personnel is on duty. Statewide the CHP reported 39 fatal crashes, up 16 from 2020. Also, in 2021 there were 510 DUI arrests compared to 442 the previous year, a difference of 68.

Tuolumne and Calaveras counties saw no deaths related to crashes over the holiday weekend. They followed the state with DUI arrest being most prevalent.  In Tuolumne, there were seven arrests, which was down from eleven in 2020. CHP Sonora Unit spokesperson Officer Steve Machado speculated that its overall citation numbers could be lower due to the winter storm that produced poor driving conditions and massive power outages in the county. In Calaveras, San Andreas Unit spokesperson Toby Butzler detailed, “We responded to eight traffic collisions and arrested two DUI drivers.  We did not track the number of citations.”

Tuolumne County did keep a record of citation as provided below:

14 total citations:

• 4- Window Tint
• 3- Speeding
• 1- Expired Registration
• 1- No Front plate
• 1- Obstructed rear plate
• 1- Blocking an intersection
• 1- Illegal use of horn
• 1- Passengers riding in bed of truck
• 1- Unrestrained passenger