Be careful on roads as holidays close

As Thanksgiving approached, we issued a reminder to readers that it would be the start of a particularly dangerous period for motorists.

After all, the holiday season that kicks off in late November is a time when roads are particularly crowded with travelers and too many drivers get behind the wheel after taking part in celebrations involving alcohol.

Making matters worse, this promised to be a return to relative normalcy in terms of holiday celebrations after a 2020 season when many people avoided gatherings due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With restrictions lifted, it was reasonable to expect more dangerous driving conditions.

Things have changed notably on the COVID-19 front. Right after Thanksgiving word started spreading about the highly contagious omicron variant, and within mere weeks it was causing a tremendous spike in cases, just in time to potentially put a damper on Christmas celebrations.

But even with some changes in plans due to the latest coronavirus surge, there were still many large Christmas celebrations, undoubtedly more than a year ago.

It would be foolish to expect anything different for New Year’s Eve, which takes place Friday, and the holiday weekend that will follow it.

We urge readers to continue being careful on the road. For many people the entire period between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day is an extended holiday, and this year there’s an extra day tacked on due to New Year’s falling on a Saturday.

There are two issues of concern. One is the usual worry about drunk drivers out after New Year’s Eve reveling, and the other is a large contingent of people hitting area roads this weekend as they return home from holiday season vacations.

PennDOT has statistics that show there’s good reason for concern. A three-year review from 2018 to 2020, shows that during the period from Thanksgiving Eve through New Year’s Day, there were a combined 3,722 impaired driver crashes across Pennsylvania. During those same time frames, 88 people died in traffic crashes involving a drunk driver. Nationally, during the Christmas and New Year’s Day holiday periods in 2019 alone, there were more drunk-driving-related fatalities (210) than during any other holiday period that year.

And more than 50% of accidents on New Years Day involve high blood-alcohol concentration, according to the American Safety Council.

So once again, we offer some words of caution: If planning to drink away from home during the holiday weekend, decide ahead of time on transportation. Travel with a designated driver or use a ride-share. Do not get behind the wheel or let someone you know who has been drinking drive.

Second, be aware that there may be impaired drivers on the road and drive defensively and with extra caution.

With more cars on the road, more breakdowns are likely, leading to the additional danger of people along the roadside.

Drivers must always slow down and move over for tow truck drivers, first responders and the motorists they are assisting on the side of the road.

And, for the sake of your own peace of mind and for those around you, be patient. Roads and airports will be busy, so plan ahead.

Arrive at the airport early so you’ll have plenty of time to get through longer TSA lines and other travel checkpoints. For domestic travel, AAA suggests two hours ahead of departure time and three hours for international.

Hit the road when there’s less traffic and allow for extra time when traveling to your destination.

And if safety concerns aren’t enough to persuade people to take precautions, remember that police are out in force watching from drunk drivers during the holiday period. Even without an accident involved, the consequences of a drunken-driving arrest are very serious.

So drink responsibly; watch out for those around you, and be aware of surroundings. Don’t let the hazards of travel ruin the start of 2022: Be careful out there.