Thanksgiving weekend is traditionally one of the heaviest traveled holidays across the country. Kentucky State Police announced they are stepping up patrols as part of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ‘Click It or Ticket’ Thanksgiving enforcement initiative.
These efforts will target seat belt usage with an added focus on impaired driving and commercial vehicle safety.
KSP spokesman Sergeant Billy Gregory said the agency will utilize federal overtime funds to increase the number of troopers and officers on roadways.
“High visibility enforcement is a universal traffic safety approach designed to deter motorists from unsafe driving behaviors,” he said. “Oftentimes during the holidays, drivers are so focused on getting to their family gatherings that they tend to forget about traffic safety. Seeing our patrol cars out there on the roadways is a great reminder to buckle up and slow down.”
Gregory said Kentuckians should be commended for regularly wearing their seat belts, as the commonwealth currently has an 89.7 percent usage rate.
“While this is positive for our state, we have traditionally seen an increase in impaired driving during holiday festivities,” he said. “If you plan to serve alcohol at your family gathering this year, we encourage people to plan ahead and arrange for sober rides home.”
The ‘Click It or Ticket’ campaign coincides with Operation C.A.R.E. (Crash Awareness and Reduction Effort), a national enforcement effort, scheduled to take place during the four-day holiday driving season beginning Nov. 25 at 6 p.m. to Nov. 29
at 11:59 p.m. These joint efforts across the country encourage drivers to buckle up and refrain from impaired driving.
“The best defense against an impaired driver is wearing a seat belt,” Gregory said. “At the end of the day it’s not about writing tickets, it’s about you and your family members arriving home safely.”
According to the Kentucky Traffic Collision Facts Report, the four-day Thanksgiving holiday travel period accounted for 1,253 collisions with five fatal crashes in 2019.
