CHP: Holiday Drunk Driving Arrests Up This Year

Los Angeles - Drunken driving arrests by the California Highway Patrol are up this New Year's Eve holiday weekend, across both California and here in the Southland, with arrests doubling this year in Orange County, according to CHP statistics.

In Orange County, the CHP made 58 drunken driving arrests compared with 32 last year, and one death was recorded, versus none last year.

In Los Angeles County, 241 drivers were arrested by the CHP between the hours of 6 p.m. Dec. 31, 2009 and 6 a.m. today. That's up from 202 arrests in the similar period last year.

"It's hard to tell if people just aren't getting the message (about drinking and driving), and this year over last there are more people driving under the influence, or if officers are just getting luckier and catching more," CHP officer Ray Scheidnes said. "We have as many officers as possible out on the roads trying to keep people safe."

Statewide, 1,252 drunken driving arrests were made by the CHP, up from 986 during the 60-hour time period last year.

Three traffic deaths were listed in Los Angeles County, one more than last year.

Statewide numbers of people killed in traffic-related incidents were also up: 21 deaths last year, versus 30 people killed this New Year's weekend.

The CHP arrest statistics only count arrests by the CHP itself, and do not include local police agencies' arrests. But the CHP death tally attempts to track all fatalities in all jurisdictions, and is a running tally as the CHP is notified by local police agencies of deaths.