Buckle Up This Memorial Day: CHP Launches Highway Enforcement Blitz

If you’re hitting California highways this Memorial Day weekend, here’s a friendly reminder: the California Highway Patrol is out in force, and they’re not in the mood for shortcuts on safety.

Starting at 6 p.m. Friday and running through 11:59 p.m. Monday, the CHP is launching its“Maximum Enforcement”period—and this year, seat belts are the main target. Why? Last year’s Memorial Day weekend told a grim story: 29 people died in crashes across the state, and nine of them weren’t wearing seatbelts. That’s a preventable tragedy in every single case. Officers will be everywhere you’d expect—highways, busy routes, the works—but they’ll also be watching for impaired drivers, having made over 1,100 DUI arrests during last year’s enforcement period.

The numbers are sobering, but here’s what matters for you: wear your seatbelt, stay sober behind the wheel, and if you spot a drunk driver weaving through traffic, don’t play hero. According to Michael Harper, a CHP spokesperson, the move is simple: stay back, don’t try to pass, and call 911 if you can safely do so. Give dispatch a description of the vehicle and location—or a license plate if you’ve got it—but don’t endanger yourself trying to gather intel. The officers will take it from there.

Memorial Day weekend brings predictable chaos to California’s roads. Families heading to barbecues, travelers escaping for a long weekend, and yes, a small percentage of people making dangerously bad choices. The CHP’s“Maximum Enforcement”period isn’t about squeezing extra ticket revenue (though citations will happen). It’s about the fact that crashes during this holiday period kill people, and most of those deaths are avoidable. A two-second click of a seatbelt. A decision not to drive after drinking. Staying focused behind the wheel. These aren’t complicated asks.

So before you load up the car, do the obvious: belt in everyone in your vehicle, designate a sober driver, and leave early enough that you’re not racing against the clock. The CHP will be out there doing their job. Make theirs easier by doing yours.