November 21, 2016

MIDDLETOWN, CT (November 21, 2016) : With tens of thousands of travelers driving through Connecticut during the Thanksgiving weekend, State Police are ramping up their plans to keep highways safe for all during the holiday rush.

Beginning on November 23^rd at 00:01 a.m. and running through Nov. 27^th at 11:59 p.m., Connecticut State Police will supplement its normal routine patrol personnel with additional Troopers throughout the long Thanksgiving holiday weekend.  Across the state, Troopers will patrol roads and highways across Connecticut, and will focus on aggressive drivers, unsafe drivers, and drunk drivers.

Troopers are committed to reducing crashes through preventive enforcement initiatives such as roving DUI patrols.

Troopers will also be looking for violators who cause accidents on Connecticut roads and highways.  Every effort to reduce accidents will be taken; however, Connecticut residents are asked to be a part of the public safety solution by obeying traffic laws:  don’t follow too close, drive the speed limit, stay off your cell phone while driving and, if you drink, then please do not drive.  Residents should remind all young people, especially college students returning home for the holiday weekend, of the laws regarding alcohol consumption and drinking and driving.

Uniformed Troopers will use traditional and non-traditional patrol cars to observe traffic and issue tickets to reckless and distracted drivers.  A reminder to all drivers: anyone who is consuming alcohol should never get behind the wheel. If you see a suspected drunk driver, call 911, this is a true emergency.

2015 Thanksgiving Stats:

Speeding:       1,204

Seatbelt Violations:   432

Other Hazardous Moving Violations:         3,160

(to include unsafe lane change, following too closely, cell phone usage, texting, failure to signal, etc.)

DUI Arrests:  46

Accidents Investigated:         513   

w/Injury:        59  

Fatality:          1