(KTXL) — Extra officers from the California Highway Patrol will be on duty this upcoming weekend to focus on removing from the roadways drivers who are under the influence, the agency said.

The CHP will be holding a maximum enforcement period starting at 6:01 p.m. on Friday that will continue through 1:59 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 2.

During the enforcement period, more officers will be monitoring the roads and looking for drivers who appear to be under the influence, traveling at unsafe speeds, or not wearing their seatbelts, the agency said.

According to the CHP, during the 2021 New Year’s Eve maximum enforcement period, nearly 500 people were arrested for driving under the influence and 29 people were killed. Officers also issued more than 2,300 tickets for speeding.

“Every year, people’s lives are impacted forever by making the decision to get behind the wheel while under the influence,” CHP Commissioner Amanda Ray said in a news release. “Driving impaired is never worth it and certainly not the way to ring in the new year – always designate a sober driver.” 

In order to increase traffic safety across state lines, the CHP will be partnering with law enforcement agencies throughout the western United States to remove drivers who are under the influence from the roads.