BOWLING GREEN — Thanksgiving is the most dangerous holiday of the year for motorists, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. This includes the four-day holiday driving period surrounding that date when heavy traffic, weather and long-distance road trips combine to create severe travel conditions. Often, family celebrations include alcohol, which later evolves into impaired driving.

Last year, traffic crashes across Kentucky claimed the lives of 14 people during the Thanksgiving travel period including 1,253 traffic crashes with 736 injuries during that time frame.

The number of Americans traveling away from home for Thanksgiving will be up slightly this year from 2008, according to a report from AAA.

“The Thanksgiving holiday weekend is traditionally one of the most traveled weekends of the year,” said KSP Commissioner Rodney Brewer. “To ensure we all make it to our destinations safely, troopers will be on Kentucky roadways looking for unsafe driving practices including safety belt and impaired driving violations.”

“It’s the simple, common sense things that can make a crucial difference such as wearing a seat belt, reducing your speed and avoiding driving after consuming alcohol or drugs,” notes Brewer.

The official 2009 Thanksgiving holiday enforcement period begins at 6 p.m. today and extends through 11:59 p.m. Sunday.

Kentucky has a zero tolerance policy regarding driving while impaired by alcohol. Operating a vehicle with a blood alcohol level of .08 will result in an immediate arrest, says Lt. David Jude, Commander of the Highway Safety Branch.

The AAA Auto Club indicates that between 4,000 and 8,000 crashes related to distracted driving occur daily in the United States.

“With heightened enforcement, troopers will keep a close eye out for aggressive and distracted drivers, as well. Heavy traffic conditions create added driving challenges requiring drivers to be cognizant of what is happening around them,” he adds.

Through Nov. 22, Kentucky has recorded 687 highway fatalities in 2009. This is a decrease of 33 fatalities for the same time period in 2008.

An additional focus this holiday season is promoting awareness between motorists and truck drivers about sharing the road. Lieutenant Colonel Mitch Bailey, Division Director for KSP Commercial Vehicle Enforcement, encourages motorists and truck drivers to respect each other on the road.

“Trucks need extra time and more space to change lanes or come to a complete stop,” said Bailey.

KSP urges all motorists to protect themselves and their fellow travelers by following basic safe driving tips:

· Don’t drink and drive. Kentucky has a zero tolerance policy regarding driving while impaired by alcohol. Operating a vehicle with a blood alcohol level of .08 will result in an immediate arrest even for first time offenders. Motorists can also be arrested for lower levels if they are under 21 years of age or operating a commercial vehicle.

· Buckle up. Kentucky law requires drivers to wear seat belts and assure that all occupants in their vehicle are properly restrained. No warnings will be issued to drivers found not wearing a safety belt. They will receive a citation.

· Use approved child restraints. According to Kentucky law, all children 40 inches in height or less must be buckled into a child safety restraint seat that meets federal standards. Children under age seven and between 40 to 50 inches tall must be in a booster seat.

· The back seat is the safest place for children to sit, especially in vehicles equipped with passenger-side air bags. Infants and toddlers should never ride in the front seat of a vehicle with a passenger-side air bag. Parents should always be sure that their child’s safety seat has been properly installed in the vehicle according to the manufacturer's instructions.

· Obey speed limits. Excessive speed reduces your ability to avoid a crash, extends your vehicle’s stopping distance and increases the severity of a crash when it occurs.

· Get enough sleep. Sleep deprivation and fatigue can cause lapses in attention, slowed awareness and impaired judgment.

· Don’t tailgate. Use the “three-second rule” to determine if you are following a vehicle to closely. To do this, first select a fixed object on the road ahead such as a sign, tree or overpass. When the vehicle ahead of you passes the object, slowly count “one-one thousand, two-one thousand, three-one thousand.” If you reach the object before completing the count, you are following too close.

· Don’t cut off semi-trucks. Large trucks require more space to slow down in order to avoid colliding with your vehicle.

· Avoid aggressive driving behaviors such as passing on the shoulder of the road, changing lanes without signaling, violating traffic signals and weaving in and out of traffic.

· Expect the unexpected. Watch traffic around you and be prepared to react. Scan the road ahead for potential hazards.

· Watch for road debris such as tire treads, garbage, lumber, gravel, tree limbs, mufflers and exhaust parts.

· Avoid or minimize in-car distractions such as cell phone use, changing CDs, eating or other activities that can remove your attention from the road.

· Take frequent breaks to keep alert during long distance trips.

· Be extra cautious around large trucks. They have large "blind spots" and much longer stopping distances than passenger cars.

· Three out of four crashes happen within 25 miles of home at speeds of 45 miles per hour or less. About 40 percent of all fatal crashes occur on roads where the speed limit is 30 miles per hour or less.



Locations

Barren County

U.S. 31W @ Edmonson Co Line

U.S. 31W @ Hart Co Line

U.S. 31W & K7y 255

U.S. 31E & Jack Turner Rd

U.S. 68 & KY 255

Ky. 70 & KY 314

Ky. 70 & KY 255 (Bon Aire)

Ky. 70 & KY 740 (Hiseville)

Ky. 1846 & Old Lexington Rd

Ky. 249, south of Glasgow limits

Hart County

U.S. 31W, 1 mile North of Horse Cave

U.S. 31W & KY 728

U.S. 31W @ Rowletts

U.S. 31E & Bunnell Crossing

U.S. 31E near Green River Bridge

Ky. 218 & KY 1846

Ky. 218 & KY 335

Ky. 88 & KY 728

Ky. 88 & KY 1015