SAN DIEGO -- Highway Patrol officers arrested 76 people suspected of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol in San Diego County since the start of the Christmas holiday weekend, the CHP said Sunday.

Last year, during the same time period, 71 people were arrested for suspected DUI. The Christmas reporting period began Friday at 6 p.m. and ended Sunday at 6 a.m.

One person died on San Diego County's highways since the start of the holiday period -- the same number as last year, said Jim Bettencourt, CHP media officer.

Statewide, there have been 20 highway fatalities and 953 DUI arrests since Friday, Bettencourt said.

The number of fatalities is up three from the same time period last year, Bettencourt said.

The San Diego Police Department plans to set up a DUI checkpoint Wednesday evening somewhere within the city limits as part of the county's "Operation Full Throttle."

The checkpoint is being funded through a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, police said.