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Troopers focused on safe holiday travel this Thanksgiving

Posted at 3:12 PM, Nov 20, 2018
and last updated 2018-11-20 16:12:40-05

Troopers in Louisiana will be focused on reducing the number of incidents on our highways in an effort to help people get to their destinations safely this Thanksgiving.

“During the Thanksgiving holiday period, millions of people across the US will be traveling the roads eager to spend time with family and friends. According to NHTSA, Thanksgiving is one of the busiest travel times of the year, and unfortunately, more people on the roadways means the potential for more vehicle crashes,” a press release states.

Over 550 crashes involving injury were reported last year during Thanksgiving. 15 people were killed in fatal crashes during that same time.  Of those fatal crashes, nearly half involved impaired drivers.

Troopers say that in an effort to decrease the number of crashes and keep our roads safe, the Louisiana State Police will be proactively patrolling our state’s highways during the holiday travel period.

Troopers will focus on impaired driving, aggressive driving, and occupant protection.

Anyone caught driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs will be arrested.

Motorists are urged to contact the nearest LSP Troop by dialing *LSP (*577) if they observe others driving in unsafe manners. Thanksgiving travelers can access real-time information about road conditions, construction activities, and other critical incidents by visiting the LaDOTD 511 Traveler Information System website atwww.511la.org. Information can also be easily found by dialing 511.

State Police recommends that motorists plan ahead and when drinking, designate a sober driver.