Tips for Driving Safely This Thanksgiving Holiday

 New York State Governor Andrew M. Cuomo has announced that local law enforcement agencies and New York State Police will conduct a Thanksgiving holiday crackdown to deter unsafe driving behaviors. According to a press release issued on the state government’s website, investigators from the Department of Motor Vehicles will conduct underage drinking and fake ID enforcement sweeps during what is traditionally one of the most popular weeks for young people to visit bars and places where alcohol is served.

Thanksgiving Traffic Enforcement
The Thanksgiving traffic enforcement will take place Wednesday, Nov. 23 through Sunday, Nov. 27. During this time, DMV investigators will be checking IDs at bars and taverns across New York over the course of the holiday week. State Police will conduct regular patrols statewide including fixed sobriety checkpoints and an underage drinker initiative. Additionally, the “Operation Hang Up” initiative targets distracted drivers using special unmarked patrol vehicles to better locate drivers who are talking or texting on hand held devices.
Statistics from 2015
Thanksgiving is typically among the most dangerous times of year in terms of traffic. During the 2015 Thanksgiving holiday crackdown, New York State troopers arrested 218 drivers for driving while intoxicated, issued 5,910 speeding tickets, 732 distracted driving tickets and 204 tickets for violating the “move over” law.
Also, 31 counties and 128 law enforcement agencies participated in last year’s Thanksgiving crackdown, resulting in 120 DWI arrests, 12 drugged driving arrests, 91 other arrests and 1,449 Vehicle and Traffic summonses. There was a total of 19 traffic accident-related deaths during the 2015 Thanksgiving holiday weekend in New York State. Of those eight involved drunk drivers, seven were speed-related and five resulted from crashes in which both speed and alcohol were reported as contributing factors.
Tips to Stay Safe During the Holiday
Whether you are planning on taking a long road trip to visit family or traveling locally, it is important that you take certain precautions during this time of the year to ensure that you and your loved ones are safe. Here are a few tips that might help:
• If you are impaired, use a taxi, call a sober friend or family member, or simply stay overnight and rest. If you see erratic or possibly drunk drivers on the road, report them to law enforcement.
• Avoid distractions. Put your cell phone away. Map your route before you get on the road. Avoid in-car distractions such as operating entertainment devices or even talking to fellow passengers.
• Avoid driving when you are fatigued or drowsy. Thanksgiving is also the time when a number of drowsy driving accidents occur. Before you embark on a long road trip, be sure to get sufficient sleep so you are ready for the journey. If you find yourself tired and your eyes closing while you drive, pull over to a safe location, rest, and then restart your journey.
• Be prepared for inclement weather. The roadways may get treacherous in many parts of the country because of snow, ice or rain. Take precautions such as keeping a safe distance between vehicles. Observe speed limits. Make sure your vehicle is ready for the journey by ensuring that your tires, brakes and other components are in good working condition.
If You Have Been Injured
Victims of car accidents can seek compensation for injuries and damages including, but not limited to, medical expenses, lost income and benefits, hospitalization, rehabilitation, permanent injuries, disabilities, past and future pain and suffering, etc. If you have been involved in an accident, make sure you file a police report, get prompt medical attention and treatment, collect evidence and information from the scene of the crash and contact an experienced car accident lawyer who will fight to protect your best interests.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident or if you have lost a loved one in an auto accident caused by a reckless driver or due to someone else’s negligence, the experienced New York personal injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Kenneth A. Wilhelm can help you better understand your legal rights and options, and also fight hard to recover just compensation for you.
Our law firm recently recovered $5,600,000 for a bicyclist who was hit by a van, and $2,550,000 for another victim of a truck accident, and $3,000,000 for a pedestrian who was hit by a car, and the full $1,000,000 insurance policy for a pedestrian who was hit by a truck, and $4,625,000 for a driver who was in a car and was hit by a van.
Please contact us TOLL FREE 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-WORK-4-YOU (1-800-967-5496). WE CAN EVEN COME TO YOU. There is no attorneys’ fee unless we recover money for you. We can also help with personal injury cases in New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, or Florida. If you have been seriously injured in any of the 50 U.S. states, please call us and we will try to help you with your case.
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Source: https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-cuomo-announces-crackdown-impaired-distracted-driving-and-underage-drinking