Drive to stay alive this Thanksgiving holiday
But if you’re driving somewhere for the holiday, don’t let your seasonal cheer come to an abrupt end because of a traffic accident.
The highway patrol once had a slogan — Arrive Alive— and that’s still great advice this holiday season if you’re hitting the road.
Officers are urging safety during the Thanksgiving travel season, and they advise motorists to start their journey early, stick to the posted speed limits, don’t drive impaired and always wear safety belts.
Today marks the busiest travel day of the year. Don’t become a statistic. Though every available Department of Public Safety trooper will be on patrol during the long Thanksgiving weekend, that doesn’t mean accidents won’t happen if motorists and their passengers don’t observe basic highway safety rules, such as buckling up.
According to the Texas Independent Automotive Association, Thanksgiving can be a deadly time on the road.
On a national level during the Thanksgiving holiday period in 2006 (when the latest figures are available), 457 automobile occupants died in auto crashes, including 188 during daylight hours and 266 during the night (three deaths were unknown regarding time), the TIAA reports.
Studies have shown night is one of the most dangerous times on the highway because seat-belt use is lower. According to the TIAA, of the 266 night-time Thanksgiving passenger-vehicle occupant deaths nationally in 2006, well over half (138) died with their seat belts unfastened (where seat belt use was known); while almost half of the daytime deaths were not wearing seat belts.
Keep these numbers in mind so that you don’t become one. Thanksgiving is a time of fun, food and frolic, not funerals.
Sure, you want to get to Austin to see the annual University of Texas/Texas A&M University game today. But so do a lot of other people, which means you need to take it easy and slow down.
There will be plenty of drivers on the road today who are impatient or in a hurry, creating even more danger due to excessive speed or other erratic driving behavior.
Be warned: DPS has a zero-tolerance policy for drunk drivers and motorists who aren’t wearing safety belts, meaning anyone stopped for those violations will be ticketed.
The highway patrol seeks voluntary compliance, but troopers will be looking for all traffic violations. Local police and sheriff’s deputies will also step up their efforts to keep the roads safe so that you can visit your friends and relatives.
Last year, the DPS’ extended efforts resulted in more than 10,000 citations during the Thanksgiving holiday, along with 400 arrests for DWI and 1,026 for seat belt violations, troopers said.
DPS officers will be looking for several specific violations today:
n Not using turn signals
n Driving in the passing lane
n Tailgating, flashing headlights or honking
n Using high beams in traffic
n Road rage
The answers are simple this holiday season: Drive friendly. Slow down. Buckle up and drive sober.
Keep the “thanks” in Thanksgiving when you make it to your destination in one piece.