HARTFORD – Drivers hitting the road this weekend will have a lot of company on the roads; AAA predicts it will be the busiest Memorial Day Weekend on the roads on record.
Likely fueled by the lowest gas prices in more than a decade, about 700,000 more people will travel over this year’s holiday weekend compared to last year. AAA projects more than a million and a half New England travelers will drive to their destinations.
It will also be a busy weekend on the roads for Connecticut State Police troopers. They’re participating in the National C.A.R.E. (Combined Accident Reduction Effort) program. The goal of this operation is to join other state police agencies across the country to enhance safety in all states. Motorists are reminded to expect heavy traffic, exercise caution and allow extra time to reach their destination.
“The majority of our accidents are caused by aggressive driving, distracted driving on cellphones, and impaired driving. So if we can get people to put the cellphones down, find sober rides and drive the speed limit we can stop a lot of accidents from occurring,” said Trooper Doug Bernier.
Troopers say they will be using all methods of enforcement to increase highway safety, including laser units to catch speeding drivers and troopers specifically assigned to DUI enforcement. They will also have sobriety checkpoints set up at several locations throughout the state.
During Memorial Day Weekend 2015, Connecticut State Troopers arrested 57 drunk drivers, charged 1,254 drivers with speeding, 1,454 with seatbelt violations and 4,548 with hazardous moving violations.
Troopers also investigated 285 motor vehicle accidents, 49 of those caused injury and two were deadly.
Trooper Bernier said, “Our main objective is to make sure that everybody has a safe and enjoyable Memorial Day weekend.”
