Heavy Driver Impairment Enforcement Ahead

KING OF PRUSSIA PA – Because “the holiday season continues to be the leading time period for traffic crashes,” Pennsylvania Department of Transportation representatives said Thursday (Dec. 1, 2016), PennDOT, the Pennsylvania State Police, and local police departments across western Montgomery County and the state will conduct regional impaired-driving enforcement patrols throughout December and early January.

In what is being dubbed as “Operation Safe Holiday,” police spokesmen in an area press conference said they intend to use sobriety checkpoints, roving patrols and regular traffic safety patrols through the New Year holiday to crack down on motorists who are driving while impaired.

PennDOT is helping to pay for the effort by covering personnel overtime and related expenses under federal funding from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. During 2015, according to Pennsylvania statistics, there were 3,741 crashes and 31 fatalities statewide within the Christmas and New Year travel periods. Of those, 524 crashes and 10 fatalities were impaired-driving related.

At the press conference a district attorney, police chief, and representatives for the Main Line Health System and AAA Mid-Atlantic all encouraged motorists to either designate a sober driver or arrange for alternate transportation.

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