The upcoming holiday weekend periods pose a perfect storm situation when it comes to traffic — and hazards — on area roadways, but the local N.C. Highway Patrol division is prepared to handle that forecast.
With Christmas and New Year’s Day both falling on Saturdays, normal weekend volumes of those kicking up their heels will be intensified by travelers to and from holiday destinations — sometimes in celebratory moods — thus magnifying problems including impaired driving and speeding.
And motorists committing such violations will get no breaks just because of the holidays, according to First Sgt. J.M. Church of the Surry-Stokes Highway Patrol unit.
“Its going to be one hundred percent zero-tolerance,” Church said Monday in outlining efforts by troopers to maintain safe travel conditions during the two holiday weekends.
“We’re definitely taking a proactive approach,” he added.
When major holidays fall in the middle of the week, there’s a separation between the typical weekend periods when people cut loose after work ends on Friday — but all that will be merged this Christmas and New Year’s Day.
The Christmas holiday heavy travel period began today and will continue through Sunday, with a similar situation posed by the Jan. 1 holiday and the traditional New Year’s Eve revelry that increases the risk of alcohol-related collisions.
“New Year’s is known for a lot of parties and things of that nature and people make bad decisions,” Church said.
The N.C. Highway Patrol will be focused on four main violations: drunk driving, speeding, seat belt/child-restraint use and distracted driving, he disclosed.
While other violations also will be targeted, “those are the ones that cause people to get hurt or killed,” Church said.
Patrol efforts will include deploying double the regular manpower of troopers on patrol in Surry and Stokes counties during the days leading up to and immediately after the holidays.
“There’s going to be extra coverage during the days and nights,” Church said.
Troopers will be mounting stepped-up speed enforcement efforts on major highways such as interstates 77 and 74 and U.S. 52, but less-traveled roadways will not be overlooked, according to Church. Measures such as traffic checkpoints also will be in the mix.
Don’t blame officers
With the arrival of a new year especially lending itself to alcohol consumption, Church is most concerned about that holiday period, but says major repercussions — including traffic fatalities — can be prevented with a few simple precautions.
“Plan ahead,” he said of arranging for preventive measures such as designated drivers.
“Make good decisions — use Uber,” Church mentioned further in reference to the popular ride service not available everywhere, but with taxis fulfilling the same purpose.
He mentioned that the Highway Patrol will even go so far as respond to tips about locations of holiday parties by setting up surveillance efforts nearby to catch those drivers who didn’t get the memo.
The local sergeant acknowledged the fact that law enforcement officers can come off as mean or hard-hearted when cracking down on violators such as speeders around Christmastime. But he reminded that they might cause death to themselves or others through irresponsible actions that have lifetime repercussions for everyone affected.
“We’re not the ones making the decisions,” he said of dangerous behaviors behind the wheel. “People determine their own fate.”
Church indicated that one of the toughest parts of his job involves notifying people about loved ones being killed in traffic crashes, a testament to the fact tragedy respects no holiday.
“I have had to give death notifications on Christmas Day,” he recalled.
“And I would ask the public not to put us in that situation.”
Source: https://www.mtairynews.com
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