CHP releases Memorial Day weekend DUI stats

The Memorial Day weekend is marked with celebrations and it’s one of the busiest times to travel in the United States. That combination had the California Highway Patrol stepping up its enforcement during the holiday to make sure nobody was getting behind the wheel after celebrating too much.

The CHP Indio office arrested 11 people for driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs throughout the weekend, which is down significantly from the two previous years. However, traffic collisions increased over recent years, according to Officer Mike Radford.

CHP Indio Area # of DUI Arrests # of Collisions # of Collisions w/ injuries # of Fatal Collisions 2015 11 19 10 0 2014 23 11 5 0 2013 21 24 8 1

Officers said fortunately nobody was killed in a collision during the busy holiday weekend, but they want to remind everyone to designate a sober driver, properly wear seat belts and avoid distractions to help save lives on the road.