NDHP to boost efforts around Thanksgiving

The North Dakota Highway Patrol will participate in the national Combined Accident Reduction Effort program during the Thanksgiving holiday period Wednesday through Sunday. The patrol will focus on strict enforcement of safety restraint violations as well as detection and apprehension of impaired drivers.

Troopers will be concentrating enforcement efforts during peak travel times throughout the holiday pe-riod.

“The Thanksgiving holiday is traditionally a very high traffic-volume period and weather conditions may not cooperate with travel plans. It is important for motorists to plan for potential winter weather, monitor changing conditions and drive defensively,” said Col. Mark Nelson of the patrol.

Thus far in 2008, 49 percent of fatal crashes have been alcohol related and 75 percent fatal-crash victims were not wearing safety restraints. During last year’s Thanksgiving holiday period, three people were killed on North Dakota roads.

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