Thanksgiving Weekend Traffic Deaths Down 20 Percent From 2007

Sacramento, CA — C.H.P. Officer Tom Wills reports that traffic related deaths and arrests for driving-under-the-influence were both down from a year ago.

Over the four day, 102 hour Thanksgiving weekend Maximum Enforcement Period this year 33 people died on California roadways as compared to 41 in 2007.

D.U.I. arrests dropped seven percent. This year 1,397 motorists were arrested for driving-under-the-influence of either alcohol or drugs. Last year 1,497 were arrested.

Wills stated that an increased number of officers on the road may be partly responsible for the decreases. He then added, “Maybe the people are finally getting the message … don´t drink and drive.”

As reported Monday there were no traffic related deaths over the weekend in either Tuolumne or Calaveras counties. There were a total of nine D.U.I. arrests; four in Tuolumne County and five in Calaveras County.

The next C.H.P. M.E.P. is set for December 24-28.

Written by Bill Johnson