PennDOT teams up to make holiday travel safe
PennDOT, law enforcement and other organizations are teaming up to make this holiday season safer for travelers.
PennDOT, state and local police, Buckle Up PA, AAA Mid-Atlantic, and regional safety partners held an event Tuesday at Temple University’s Ambler Campus in Montgomery County to outline regional enforcement efforts during the “Operation Safe Holiday” mobilization and to encourage safe driving through the holiday season.
Police discussed the use of sobriety checkpoints, roving patrols and regular traffic safety patrols to target motorists who are driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Pennsylvania State Police and hundreds of municipal police departments statewide will participate in the “Operation Safe Holiday” campaign this year to increase traffic safety enforcement through the New Year’s holiday.
PennDOT data indicates that the winter holiday season continues to be the leading time period for traffic crashes. In 2016, there were 8,608 crashes and 79 fatalities statewide during the Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year travel periods. Of those, 1,072 crashes and 27 fatalities were impaired-driving related.
PennDOT encourages motorists to always plan ahead by either designating a sober driver or arranging for alternate transportation.
Motorists can check conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles, including color-coded winter conditions on 2,900 miles, by visiting www.511PA. com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information, and access to more than 850 traffic cameras.
511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 511, or by following regional twitter alerts accessible on the 511PA website.
Follow Local PennDOT Information on Twitter at www.twitter. com/511PAPhilly.
To learn more about PennDOT’s efforts to prevent impaired driving or other safety initiatives, visit www.penndot.gov/safety.