In keeping with its mission of saving lives, the California Highway Patrol is reminding motorists the Thanksgiving holiday is also a Maximum Enforcement Period (MEP).

The CHP’s holiday enforcement effort begins Nov. 24 at 6pm and continues through 11:59pm Nov. 28.

Throughout the MEP all available officers will be looking for motorists who are a danger to themselves or others on our state’s roadways.

Last year during CHP’s Thanksgiving holiday enforcement effort, 37 people were killed in collisions statewide; this represents a 12 percent increase from the previous year. Among the 19 vehicle occupants who were killed in CHP jurisdiction, 26 percent were not wearing seat belts.

The Thanksgiving MEP coincides with the statewide “Click It or Ticket” campaign which runs through Nov. 29 and includes more than 150 law enforcement agencies in California.

In addition to motorists who fail to buckle up or drive at a safe speed, officers will be seeking to remove impaired drivers from the roadways. Last year during the Thanksgiving MEP, CHP officers made 1,461 arrests for driving under the influence.

With the Christmas and New Year’s holiday right around the corner, the CHP is planning for similar maximum enforcement efforts next month.