Holiday weekend fatalities are down
Traffic fatalities over the long Christmas holiday weekend were down dramatically this year, and the state Highway Patrol said Tuesday that increased seat belt usage would have trimmed the number even further.
The California Highway Patrol reported 28 deaths on state roadways over the weekend, from 6 p.m. Friday until 11:59 p.m. Monday. Last year, 39 fatalities were reported.
In Los Angeles County, three people were killed in traffic accidents, none of them in territory patrolled by the CHP.
“That’s good for any weekend, and even more so for a holiday weekend,” said CHP spokesman Sgt. Mark Garrett.
In 2005, six people were killed in Los Angeles County during the same period.
In the CHP’s Border Division, which covers Orange, San Diego and parts of Riverside counties, five people were killed this year, compared with four in 2005.
CHP Commissioner Mike Brown said many of those killed over the Christmas weekend might be alive had they been wearing seat belts.
Of the 16 people killed within the Highway Patrol’s jurisdiction, 14 were not wearing seat belts. “It’s important to remember that lives lost behind the wheel are preventable,” he said.
Statewide, CHP officers arrested 1,351 people for driving under the influence of alcohol, compared with 1,209 the year before.
Los Angeles County arrests were in about the same proportion, 334 this year compared with 267 last year. The Border Division made 234 arrests this year, compared with 207 in 2005.
The CHP will conduct a crackdown over the New Year’s weekend.
Up to 80% of available uniformed officers will be on the highway, beginning at 6 a.m. Friday and continuing throughout New Year’s Day.
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