With the summer travel season’s start this weekend, law enforcement officers delivered a reminder that several simple actions can save lives and avoid devastating outcomes.

California Highway Patrol officers along with Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown, District Attorney John Savrnoch and representatives of lawmakers gathered in Los Olivos on Wednesday morning ahead of Memorial Day weekend to remind drivers to take some simple precautions.

“This weekend, let’s honor the memories of those we’ve lost in our nation’s wars by committing to safer driving habits and working to collectively prevent future tragedies,” Brown said.

Memorial Day weekend means CHP officers will initiate a statewide Maximum Enforcement Period, starting at 6:01 p.m. Friday and ending at 11:59 p.m. Monday. 

Capt. Mike Logie, commander of the Santa Barbara-area office, said CHP has been awarded grants by the Office of Traffic Safety to enforce laws and educate drivers during the summer months.

This includes a campaign to remind drivers about the importance of wearing seat belts. 

Additionally, the 100 days between Memorial Day and Labor Day see a dramatic spike in teen driving injuries and deaths, with the CHP looking at proactive enforcement and education efforts, Logie said. 

Statewide, CHP officers made 1,100 arrests for driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, Logie said, adding that it’s an average of one every four minutes. That also marked a 21% increase from 2022.

People should designate a driver or use a rideshare service. 

The same period saw 46 people killed, another increase from the previous year.  

The Santa Barbara County campaign also will focus on ending speeding, distracted driving, unsafe turning and more. 

“These increased education and enforcement efforts will take place throughout Santa Barbara County,” Logie said.

CHP officers are expected to focus efforts on highways 101, 1, 154, 246, 192 and 166. Sheriff’s deputies will focus on high-traffic areas in their jurisdictions.

“This is not just about issuing tickets,” Brown said. “This is about preventing dangerous behaviors before they lead to tragedies.”

So far this year, Santa Barbara County has seen 15 lives lost this year in traffic crashes. In 2023, 49 people lost their lives, with the number being 55 in 2022 and 61 in 2021. 

“Let’s work together to reduce these heartbreaking statistics and make Santa Barbara County’s roads safer for all,” Brown said. 

Each number represents a family member, loved one or neighbor killed by a preventable crash, the sheriff said. 

“These are not just statistics. They are tragic losses that deeply affect our community,” Brown said.

Savrnoch suggested that people should have multiple options for getting home safely in case they end up imbibing more.

“Make your plan beforehand. Plans made under the influence are bad plans, so I encourage everybody to plan ahead,” Savrnoch said. 

He ticked off a simple list of what to do and what not to do, spelling out various risks, in addition to serious injury or death, that come along with a drunken driving arrest.

“Don’t complain to me about the expense, the embarrassment, the time, the loss of wages, the increase in insurance and the possibility of the loss of your job when you are being prosecuted for a DUI,” Savrnoch said. 

Staff members for Rep. Salud Carbajal, state Sen. Monique Limón, Assemblyman Gregg Hart and Third District Supervisor Joan Hartmann also spoke at event. 

“Summer’s supposed to be fun,” Limon aide Carson Link said. “Let’s make it not dangerous.”