CLEARFIELD – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) on Tuesday urged motorists not to drive impaired over the Thanksgiving holiday as part of the Thanksgiving Eve DUI enforcement wave taking place Wednesday.
“More people travel for Thanksgiving than any other Holiday, and law enforcement across the state has the responsibility of trying to keep them safe,” said PennDOT District Executive Karen Michael.
“They’ll be on the lookout for anyone who makes that bad choice to drive drunk because it puts everyone traveling for the holiday in danger.”
As part of the event, which was held on Lock Haven University’s Clearfield Campus, attendees were given information on the legal and social consequences of DUI.
They also had the chance to operate the impaired/distracted driving simulator sponsored by State Farm Insurance and UPMC in Erie and to participate in mock sobriety checks while wearing alcohol impairment simulation goggles.
Law enforcement statewide will be conducting roving DUI patrols, sobriety checkpoints and other high visibility enforcement efforts to discourage impaired driving.
They will also be participating in the Click It or Ticket “Operation Safe Holiday” enforcement effort from now through Sunday, Dec. 2.
If you are pulled over for a moving violation during this mobilization and are not wearing your seatbelt, you will receive two citations.
According to PennDOT 2017 data, there were 395 alcohol-related crashes across Pennsylvania between 6 p.m. Nov. 17 and 6 p.m. Dec. 3. There were 10 fatalities in those crashes.
Additionally, approximately 50 percent of people killed in occupant-related traffic crashes on Pennsylvania highways last year were not wearing seatbelts.
For more information on the dangers and consequences of impaired driving and the importance of buckling up, visit penndot.gov/safety and https://padui.org/.
For regional traffic updates, follow www.twitter.com/511PAStateCOLL. Use #PASafeHoliday on social media to show your pledge to never drive impaired and always buckle up.
