Thanksgiving is the busiest travel holiday of the year – and, unfortunately, the deadliest for motorists.
More people are hurt or killed in vehicle crashes over Thanksgiving than any other holiday, according to PennDOT.
Over 3,900 crashes were reported statewide during last year’s Thanksgiving holiday. About 175 of those crashes happened in Lancaster County, according to the county DUI Task Force.
Police are advising drivers they will be on the roads in Lancaster County and across the state.
In Lancaster County, police are escalating their impaired-driver details with round-the-clock roving patrols and a stationary checkpoint which is planned for at least one night over the holiday. State police and the county task force are running the checkpoint.
Thanksgiving Eve, known as one of the most popular nights of the year for bars and party-goers, contributes to the holiday break being an especially heightened time for impaired driving.
There were 14 crashes last year in Lancaster County that involved impaired drivers, according to the county task force.
Statewide, about a third (12) of the 35 traffic fatalities involved an impaired driver.
On average, more than 1,500 drivers are charged with DUI each year in Lancaster County, according to District Attorney Craig Stedman.
District Attorney Stedman advises those drinking alcohol to do so responsibly by using designated drivers, public transit and taxi/Uber drivers.
SOURCE: LANCASTER COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE
