Newhall California Highway Patrol officers wrote almost 40 speeding citations over a four day period as a part of the agency’s Christmas Maximum Enforcement Period, according to officials.

Residents may have noticed increased CHP presence on San Francisquito Canyon Road during the past week. This is part of the Maximum Enforcement Period, which has all available CHP officers out on the roadways as part of the increased enforcement efforts, according to officials.

The Maximum Enforcement Period officially began Friday, Dec. 21 at 6 p.m. and continues through 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 25.

The focus of the effort is to improve road safety conditions for travelers this holiday season, according to CHP officials.

During the 2017 Christmas Maximum Enforcement Period, roads under CHP jurisdiction had 16 collision-related deaths, while 27 people were killed statewide.

In addition to the deaths on the road, CHP made 917 arrests for driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol last year.

“Please remember to drive sober, avoid distractions, always buckle up, leave plenty of time to reach your destination and consider the possibility of inclement weather,” said CHP Commissioner Warren Stanley in a statement announcing Maximum Enforcement Period earlier this month.

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