C.H.P. To Initiate Maximum Enforcement Period

Sonora, CA — Friday evening at six o’clock the Highway Patrol will initiate its Memorial Day weekend Maximum Enforcement Period.

All available officers will be patrolling the roadways during the M.E.P. The 78 hour window will close Monday midnight.

Officer Tom Wills comments that 38 people died on California’s roadways during the 2008 Memorial Day weekend. 25 of those killed were not wearing seat belts.

Overall the C.H.P. issued 1,450 citations last year for driving-under-the-influence.

Already this year there have been 18 traffic related fatalities in Tuolumne (10) and Calaveras (8) counties. There have been four motorcycle fatalities in the Mother Lode, three in Tuolumne County and one in Calaveras County. Three of those fatalities have occurred in the last six days.