Cops to drunks: Stay off the road

If you plan on raising a toast or two this Memorial Day weekend, MEP’s the word.
That stands for “Maximum Enforcement Period,” and it’s what the California Highway Patrol calls its seasonal effort to keep the drinking-impaired off the road. MEP, which puts all available CHP officers on the highways, coincides with the annual “Avoid the 13” campaign in which the CHP partner with local law enforcement agencies to stretch a web of “saturation patrols” and DUI checkpoints across Sonoma County.
MEP began yesterday at 6 p.m. and extends until midnight Monday.
In addition, officers and deputies will be enforcing the state’s “Click It or Ticket” campaign through June 1, which targets seatbelt scofflaws.
Memorial Day is traditionally the start of the summer season and the end of the school year, which contributes to being among the deadliest weekend holidays. Last year 37 people died in vehicle crashes in California; at least half of those killed in CHP jurisdiction were not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash.