More than 2 million travelers expected on roads Memorial Day Weekend in SoCal

More than 2 million travelers are expected on the roads in Southern California this holiday weekend, and the California Highway Patrol is shifting into high gear to keep everyone safe.

“We will have more officers out and we are doing a DUI checkpoint,” said CHP officer Mike Radford.

CHP urges drivers to give themselves enough time getting to their destinations in case of traffic. But travelers we met Friday afternoon said the I-10 was flowing smoothly.

“There’s less traffic and we drove during peak traffic and it wasn’t too bad,” said Bruce Easley, who is traveling with his family from Huntington Beach to Big River.

Shane francis of Riverside is taking his family geode hunting near Blythe and said they’re making much better time than expected.

“Right through Yucaipa we were down to 35 miles per hour for 10 miles or so and then it opened up and we’ve been cruising 55 the whole way,” Francis said.

Last year, CHP made 1200 DUI arrests during Memorial Day Weekend. Forty people were killed in collisions, a 60 percent jump from 2012, and more than half weren’t wearing seat belts.

This weekend officers will not only be looking for drunk drivers, but people who are distracted behind the wheel.

“That includes talking on cell phones, texting, using apps, it could be the radio, really just avoid any and all distractions while driving,” Radford said.

Drivers tell us they passed several patrol cars along the way, and they’re happy to see them out in full force.

“The presence I think makes some people think twice, and creates a little deterrence,” Francis said.

“Safety first, especially when there’s so many kids and families on the road,” Easley said.