(Fort Wayne, IN)-In an effort to make the upcoming Thanksgiving Holiday travel period safer, the Indiana State Police has partnered with approximately 250 other law enforcement agencies statewide in participating in the annual Safe Family Travel, Operation Pull Over campaign. The campaign begins November 13th and runs through Sunday, December 6th. The Indiana State Police will be conducting high visibility enforcement efforts including sobriety check points and saturation patrols looking for impaired drivers and unrestrained motorists.
Troopers will also be participating in Operation C.A.R.E. (Combined Accident Reduction Effort). Operation C.A.R.E. is a federally funded program and will allow additional troopers to patrol Hoosier roadways during this holiday period.
According to the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute (ICJI), in November 2014, there were 520 alcohol-related crashes across Indiana resulting in 235 injuries and three fatalities. According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Board, across the nation impaired driving kills over 10,000 people a year.
To ensure the safety of all motorists and passengers, please do your part and utilize the following safety tips:
• Make sure you are well rested if you plan to travel. A fatigued driver is a dangerous driver.
• Avoid tailgating and remember the two-second rule.
• Make sure everyone is buckled up.
• Avoid using your cell phone while driving. Distracted driving is dangerous driving.
•Don’t drink and drive. Remember that impaired driving is 100% preventable.
• MOVE OVER and SLOW DOWN for emergency and highway service vehicles.
Increased enforcement during the Thanksgiving holiday period is an annual statewide effort supported by federal funding allocated from the Traffic Safety Division of the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute.
