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SAN FRANCISCO (KTVU) - Law enforcement officers are shifting into maximum enforcement mode for the Labor Day weekend to make sure that more drivers on the road will not lead to more traffic deaths.
This comes as a nationwide report shows that 2015 had the highest percentage increase of traffic fatalities in nearly five decades.
In San Francisco Friday night, police officers were out stopping drivers and checking to see if anyone was under the influence. The DUI checkpoint aimed to put a stop to anyone driving on the roads drunk."
"You wouldn't want one of your loved ones to be killed because someone else was driving under the influence of either drugs or alcohol," said Officer Grace Gatpandan of the San Francisco Police Department spokeswoman.
Some people still are not getting the message. Last year, one in three traffic fatalities involved drunk drivers or speeding.
New data this week from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shows the number of traffic fatalities nationwide last year had the highest percentage increase in nearly five decades.
In 2015, the report shows 35,092 people lost their lives in crashes, an increase of 7.2% more deaths than the year before.
Federal officials say there are four reasons driving the increase in fatalities.
Alcohol-related traffic deaths were up 3%. The number of fatal crashes involving speeding was also lso up 3 percent, and victims who did not wear a seatbelt died in more crashes, up 4.9%.
The biggest increase was distracted driving which was up 8.8%.
Some drivers say they see it every day.
"I'm always moving my head and everywhere I look I see someone looking down and I think, ah, they gotta be texting. So I think it's a pretty common thing nowadays," said Marco Rodiguez of Pittsburg.
"There have been times when I've experienced actual drivers who steered off of the road," said Brittani McQuarters of Walnut Creek.
CHP officers say it goes beyond texting.
"A lot of people I see them on Facebook, scrolling through looking at their Instagram and twitter accounts. I can see that just as I pull up and looking the window...while they're driving," said Officer Dustin Ribegaard, a San Francisco CHP spokesman.
The 2015 data showed that one in ten of the fatalities involved distracted driving.
"If you're distracted and you're not looking on the road, it's just as dangerous as if someone is driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs," said Officer Grace Gatpandan, a San Francisco Police Dept. spokeswoman.
The increase in deaths did not just apply to people driving vehicles.The data also showed an increase in pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorcycle riders.
Preliminary data for 2016 appears to be continuing the upward trend.