CHP: DUI Arrests Increase Dramatically, But Less Crashes Occur This July 4 Weekend

California Highway Patrol officers arrested 21 people in the Coachella Valley area on suspicion of driving under the influence over the Independence Day weekend -- more than the previous two years combined -- but there were fewer collisions than last year, the agency announced Tuesday.

The arrests were made during the CHP's "maximum enforcement period," during which officers were deployed to crack down on intoxicated motorists, speeders and other scofflaws. The period started at 6 p.m. Thursday and ended at 11:59 p.m. Sunday, according to CHP Officer Mike Radford.

On Independence Day weekend last year, there were 13 DUI arrests, and just four in 2012, according to Radford. There were nine collisions in the Coachella Valley this year, down from 13 in the same period last year. None of the nine crashes were fatal, although four resulted in injuries and two were DUI-related.

"The decrease in collisions and increase in arrests are the result of aggressive enforcement by many Indio CHP officers," he said. "We understand that holiday weekends are especially dangerous to the motoring public, and are dedicated to preventing collisions, injuries and fatalities."

There was one fatal crash on Independence Day weekend last year, and none the year before.

– City News Service.