Crime & Safety

Holiday Tip from State Cops on Drinking/Driving: DON'T

Keep the blue lights out of your rear-view mirror this holiday season.

Overindulge on food this Thanksgiving and you may get stomach pains. Overindulge on drink before getting behind the wheel and you may get arrested -- or get into an accident.

Connecticut State Police have DUI checkpoints and extra patrols on the roads this long Thanksgiving Day weekend, although none of the announced checkpoints are in lower Fairfield County, according to a list issued Monday.

Here's a news release state police issued about increased holiday patrols:

As Connecticut residents prepare for the Thanksgiving Holiday the Connecticut State Police has also implemented plans to enhance public safety, enforcement and visibility on all of the highways and roads in Connecticut. Operation C.A.R.E. (Combined Accident Reduction Effort) is an intricate part of the highway safety plan.

The Connecticut State Police will supplement its normal routine patrol personnel with additional Troopers over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Troopers will patrol all roads and highways across Connecticut and will focus on drunk drivers while targeting aggressive and unsafe drivers.

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See also: Cops: Darien Woman Drove with Over 2X Legal Alcohol Limit
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Thanksgiving Eve and Day are without any doubt the busiest traffic days of the year. Motorists need to remember: Don’t follow too close, slow down, stay off your cell phone and if you drink, then don’t drive.

Troopers will set up sobriety checkpoints and roving DUI patrols to target DUI problem areas across the state throughout the entire weekend. State Troopers are committed to reducing crashes through preventive enforcement initiatives such as safety spot checks at sobriety checkpoints.

Troopers will also be looking for violators who cause accidents on Connecticut roads and highways. Every effort to reduce accidents is being taken but Connecticut residents are urged to be a part of the public safety solution.

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2012 Thanksgiving Weekend Stats:

  • SPEEDING Arrests: 1,611
  • SEATBELT Arrests: 85
  • OTHER HAZARDOUS MOVING VIOLATION Arrests: 3,041 (including unsafe lane change, following too close, cell phone usage, failure to signal, etc.)
  • DUI ARRESTS: 62
  • ACCIDENTS Investigated: 410; With injury: 59; Fatals: 3
  • Total Calls For State Police Service: 10,469
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Residents should remind all young people, especially college students returning home the first time this semester, of the rules regarding alcohol consumption and drinking and driving.

Uniformed Troopers will use non-traditional patrol cars to observe traffic and issue tickets to reckless, distracted drivers. A reminder to all drivers: anyone who is consuming alcohol should never get behind the wheel. If you see a suspected drunk driver, call 911, this is a true emergency.

Colonel Danny R. Stebbins, commander of the Connecticut State Police noted, “Your State Troopers will work very hard to keep the state’s roads and highways safe. Help us reduce accidents by driving with extra caution this Thanksgiving holiday.

As we do our part through enforcement, please do your part by driving safely. At this busy time of year, we urge all parents to take the time and talk to their young adults about the dangers of underage drinking."






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