Troopers will be trying to keep the roads safe for all motorists.
Pikesville, Md (KM) There will be plenty of state troopers on Maryland roads this upcoming Thanksgiving Holiday Weekend. “We’ll have troopers from all 23 barracks focusing enforcement efforts on impaired, aggressive driving, speeding, distracted driving, and other violations that could contribute to highway tragedies especially during this holiday season,” says spokesman Ron Snyder.
He says there will be saturation patrols throughout the state which will be funded by grants from the Maryland Department of Transportation, and the Maryland Highway Safety Office to put additional troopers on the roads. These efforts will be concentrated in areas where there are a large number of arrests for impaired driving or crashes, says Snyder.
Motorists need to be safe when they’re heading out on the roads toward their holiday destinations. “Pay attention to the roads. Put the phone down. Don’t drink and drive, obviously. If you’re going to drink, have a sober driver,” Snyder says.
He says it can be very costly for anyone whose arrested for driving under the influence. “It’s estimated that someone arrested for impaired driving, it costs them about $10,000 when you think of legal fees, fines, lost wages and multiple other reasons. And that’s just the loss for a simple arrest,” Snyder says. “If a crash is involved, that cost goes up exponentially because you can’t put a price on a life lost or injured.”
During the Thanksgiving holiday period in 2017 (Nov., 22-26), State Police say troopers made 109 DUI arrests, stopped 9,033 vehicles, issued 1,815 speeding citations and 113 distracted driving citations. They also made 34 criminal arrests, and 20 drug arrests. Troopers also investigated 399 crashes, including three fatalities.
Drivers heading out for Thanksgiving holiday can get up-to-date traffic and road conditions by going to roads.maryland.gov or chart.state.md.us. Traffic conditions are also available at md511.org, or by safely dialing 511 from your cell phone.
AAA Mid-Atlantic projects 1.1-million people will be traveling during the holiday period, 91% of them will go by car.
By Kevin McManus