Fifty drivers in Sonoma County went to jail this Fourth of July weekend, suspected of driving while drunk, reported law enforcement officials.
A concerted effort by county law enforcement agencies led to 48 of those drivers being arrested between Friday and late Monday night.
Two drivers also were arrested in Sonoma Valley by Napa CHP officers during a checkpoint Friday night.
This July holiday period is considered to be among the most dangerous due to drunken drivers, law enforcement officials have reported.
In Sonoma County there were no fatal collisions tied to suspected drunken drivers reported over the weekend. There was one injury crash, involving a driver hitting a pedestrian on River Road.
"It was a very busy holiday weekend with lots of events going on...and motorists out," said Petaluma police Sgt. Ken Savano, who helped coordinate the concerted effort.
"We're happy we don't have any (fatal) stories to report," Savano said.
The CHP held two two checkpoints Friday night, one in Sonoma Valley and one in Santa Rosa. Petaluma police led two in their town on Saturday night.
Of the 50 arrests, CHP officers arrested 33 drivers.
CHP officers also issued numerous citations and had cars towed for illegal parking along the Russian River during the weekend.
They also looked for speeding motorcycles on Skaggs Springs Road but found few, said CHP Sgt. Robert Mota.
For CHP, parking problems was the weekend's biggest issue, as the hot weather drew many people to the Russian River.
Officers worked along the river, focusing each day on narrow Fitch Mountain Road in Healdsburg, where they gave out 58 parking citations and towed four cars.
That's been a problem area in prior years as many people park haphazardly on the rural roadway before making their way to the river below.
CHP officials had publicized warnings they'd be concentrating there and on Sunday several cars were towed because they were blocking driveways or the roadway, Mota said.
Another Russian River problem area was at Hacienda bridge, near Forestville.
There were so many cars parked every which way in the small area on Monday that CHP officers took a bull horn to the crowded nearby beach and announced they'd have cars towed if people didn't move them.
"Streams of people came out" to move their cars, Mota said.
In the northwest section of the county, some officers spent hours along rural Skaggs Springs Road, looking for motorcycles and cars speeding or racing.
The road, near Healdsburg and west of Lake Sonoma and Warm Springs Dam, has been very popular for riders and drivers to see how fast they can go.
The CHP last week also issued warnings that officers would be ready to hand out tickets there over the weekend.
Mota said he and other officers spent hours on the road throughout the holiday. At one point a CHP helicopter flew the area to alert officers below about any approaching motorcycles.
Mota said there were very few riders and drivers reported on the popular route.
UPDATED: Please read and follow our commenting policy: