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LOS ANGELES (CNS) - California Highway Patrol officers will be ramping up operations on highways and roads throughout Los Angeles County starting Friday to catch drunk and drug-impaired drivers, as part of the agency's annual Labor Day weekend enforcement campaign.
The "maximum enforcement period" will get underway at 6 p.m. Friday and conclude at 11:59 p.m. Monday, the CHP reported.
During that time, all available officers will be deployed for targeted crackdowns.
"Alcohol-and drug-impaired driving continues to be a leading cause of traffic fatalities and injuries," CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee said. "An impaired driver behind the wheel puts himself and everyone on the road in great danger."
Duryee said this year's campaign will be part of a unified "tri-state initiative," with officers from the Arizona Department of Public Safety and Nevada Highway Patrol also conducting targeted patrols.
"The CHP, along with our partners in Nevada and Arizona, is committed to proactive enforcement throughout the holiday weekend," he said. "We will deploy all available personnel to ensure the highest level of safety for everyone traveling."
During the 2022 Labor Day weekend MEP, CHP officers statewide arrested just over 900 motorists on suspicion of driving under the influence, compared to roughly 1,000 taken into custody during the same period in 2021.
Fifty-two people died in wrecks throughout California over Labor Day weekend 2022, the agency said.
Officials noted that, with most CHP officers and sergeants certified as "drug recognition experts," or DREs, they will be better equipped to spot motorists under the influence of marijuana and other drugs.
In addition to the CHP, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, the Los Angeles Police Department, and multiple other law enforcement agencies will be conducting anti-DUI efforts countywide.