The California Highway Patrol will initiate its annual “maximum enforcement period” this week in an effort to promote safe driving and reduce traffic fatalities during the Thanksgiving holiday. Starting Wednesday at 6:01 p.m. and running through Dec. 1 at 11:59 p.m., CHP officers will be out in force making sure seatbelts are buckled, drivers are sober and speed limits are respected.  “We encourage everyone to prepare their vehicles for travel, leave early to account for heavy traffic, buckle up, and never drive impaired,” CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee said in a news release Monday. “The well-being and safety of others starts with making good decisions behind the wheel.” During last year’s Thanksgiving enforcement period, officers made 1,047 arrests for driving under the influence and investigated 27 fatal crashes.