CHP ramps up patrols for Memorial weekend

California Highway Patrol (CHP) officers are going to be out in full force through Memorial weekend starting on Friday evening.

During what CHP calls the "maximum enforcement period" available officers are going to be helping catch drunk drivers or other traffic violators.

This crackdown is going to be from 6:00 p.m. Friday to 11:59 p.m. Monday.

Officers from Beaumont, Blythe, Indio, Riverside, and Temecula CHP stations are part of this deployment.

Last Memorial Day weekend, CHP reported just under 900 drunk, or drug-impaired drivers through the state.

Officer Torres from CHP Indio said it usually sees traffic buildup heading both east and west out of the Coachella Valley starting sometime during the evening on Fridays of the holiday weekend. He said they see a large return of people coming back into the Coachella Valley starting Monday afternoon through the day.

According to AAA, this Memorial weekend is expected to be the third busiest travel weekend since 2000. It projects 42.3 million Americans to travel 50 miles or more from home this weekend, which is a 7% increase from last year.

If you're going to be traveling this holiday, CHP is asking the public to do so safely.