Nearly 100 drivers were caught speeding over 100 mph by the California Highway Patrol around the New Year’s Day holiday, the agency announced.
Between 6 p.m. on Dec. 31 and 11:59 p.m. Jan. 1, CHP officers handed out more than 5,400 tickets, including 2,792 for speeding, the agency said in a news release. Officers also cited 92 people for driving more than 100 mph and arrested 379 people on suspicion of driving under the influence.
There were also six fatal crashes within the CHP’s jurisdiction, the agency said, with speeding, impaired driving and failure to wear seat belts as leading factors.
Under a new program, Forwarded Actions for Speeding Tickets, a joint effort by the Department of Motor Vehicles and the CHP, Californians who are caught speeding at more than 100 mph will face new disciplinary actions that could include losing driving privileges.
Every driver who is ticketed by the CHP for going over 100 mph, regardless of their driving record, has their citation automatically forwarded to the DMV’s Driver Safety Branch under the program launched last month.
The DMV reviews the case and the driver’s history to determine next steps, with the ability to impose penalties that could include the suspension or revocation of driving privileges.
Part of the program’s aim is to stem a rising tide of traffic deaths and injuries across the state.
Since 2010, fatalities and serious injuries related to speeding and aggressive driving have increased by 52%, according to the California Department of Transportation.
Last year, the CHP issued about 1,600 citations each month to drivers speeding more than 100 mph, and about 18,000 tickets overall, the agency said.
Times staff writer Karen Garcia contributed to this report.
