PENNSYLVANIA, USA — The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation says officers are on the lookout for distracted and impaired drivers throughout Easter weekend.
According to PennDOT, PSP reported 410 crashes during last year's Easter weekend; this included four fatal crashes, 31 DUIs and 82 distracted driving incidents.
The department expressed that the holiday weekend can fly under the radar when it comes to distracted driving cases, compared to other holidays such as Thanksgiving and New Year's Eve.
"People are gathering with their families, they're having meals with their families, and maybe not really thinking about [having] to drive home after that meal," said PennDOT spokesperson Fritzi Schreffler.
Schreffler stated that the holiday can often coincide with college spring break and that those on the roads should remain vigilant to avoid driving aggressively or impaired.
"Because the holiday always falls on a Sunday, a lot of people will traditionally take it into Monday," Schreffler said. "So we really encourage [that] if you're going to be out and enjoying a good time with your family or friends, make sure you have that designated driver. Pay attention to what everybody else around you is doing as well. Don't be that aggressive driver that causes a road rage incident."