Christmas weekend can also mean a spike in impaired driving. So the Highway Patrol has another Maximum Enforcement Period, starting Friday evening. But not all offices are approaching it the same way. At the Grass Valley office, Officer Greg Tassone says not all officers will be on duty, but the ones on their normal shifts will have a somewhat different focus…

click to listen to Officer Tassone

Although the focus of the Maximum Enforcement Period is on speeding, Tassone says officers will also be looking for signs of impaired driving…

click to listen to Officer Tassone

Distracted driving, especially with smartphones, and seat belt enforcement will also get special attention. During last year’s Christmas period, 35 people died in accidents. Among the 12 who were killed in the CHP’s jurisdiction 50% were not buckled up. There were also around 700 DUI arrests. The Maximum Enforcement Period starts at 6 Friday evening lasts until midnight Monday night.