Dateline: November 27, 2008
Use
caution on highways this holiday
By Roger Estlack, Clarendon
Enterprise
When
you’re packing the car for your annual Thanksgiving trip, be sure to
pack your patience and drive safely by obeying all traffic laws.
“We
want you to get to your destination safely,” said Col. Stan Clark,
interim director of the DPS.
“Be patient. There will
be a lot of other families traveling, and traffic is likely to be
congested. Leave yourself plenty of time to get where you’re going, and
drive friendly. Slow down, buckle up, and drive sober.”
Many
travelers are expected to hit the road for Thanksgiving, so all available
DPS troopers will be patrolling looking for speeders, drunk drivers, and
those not properly secured by safety restraints.
During
the Wednesday through Sunday Thanksgiving period last year, DPS troopers
wrote 10,426 citations for speeding and made 400 arrests for driving while
intoxicated. They also arrested 34 minors for driving under the influence
of alcohol. They wrote 1,026 citations for seatbelt violations and 358 for
child restraint violations.
DPS
has a no-warnings policy for seat belt and child restraint violations.
Troopers are participating in Operation CARE – Combined Accident
Reduction Effort – a nationwide effort by police agencies to reduce
fatalities on major interstate highways during holiday weekends.
DPS
expects a large number of travelers on the road and encourages drivers to
leave themselves plenty of time to get where they’re going. Avoid bad
driving habits that lead to road rage, such as: Not using turning signals;
Driving in the passing lane; Tailgating, flashing lights, or honking;
Using high beams in traffic; and Not allowing adequate time for a given
trip.
When confronted with aggressive drivers, the DPS recommends that you: Put your pride in the back seat and move aside; Do not speed up, block lanes, slam, or tap on brakes; Report extreme cases of reckless driving to the appropriate authorities when the incident occurs; and Make sure everyone is buckled up.