Exeter Police Chief Offers Thanksgiving Driving Safety Tips

With a record number of travelers hitting the road for Thanksgiving this week, Exeter Police Chief Richard Kane reports that the department is reminding residents to travel safely and to never drink and drive.

“Thanksgiving should be a joyous time for families and friends to come together and celebrate, and we hope motorists will act responsibly,” Kane said in a press statement. “Please plan your travel early and carefully. Never get behind the wheel after you have been drinking. The Exeter Police Department will be aggressively enforcing traffic laws and actively looking for drunk drivers in order to avoid a potential tragedy during the holiday week.”

The most recent nationwide stats available from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration indicate that a total of 416 people died in traffic crashes during the Thanksgiving Holiday period in 2012, and 42 percent of those deaths were caused by crashes involving a drunk driver.

According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 40 percent of traffic fatalities that occur during the holidays involve a driver who is alcohol-impaired, compared to 31 percent for the rest of the year.

To keep travelers safe, Kane offers the following safety tips from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration:

Buckle Up, Drive Sober and Pay Attention

• Never drive drunk or drive distracted. In every state, it is against the law to drive with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher.
• Be sure to have a designated driver to ensure that you are your family members are safe at all times in the motor vehicle.
• If you smell or see anyone with an alcoholic beverage, do not get into the car with them or let the person drive.

Plan Ahead

• Plan your travel and route by checking the weather, road conditions, and traffic. Leave early, if necessary, and allow plenty of time to safely get to your destination.
• Carry items in your vehicle that may prove useful in the event of an emergency or if you get stranded, including: snow shovel, broom, ice scraper, jumper cables, flashlight, flares/emergency markers, blankets, mobile phone with charger, water, food, and any necessary medicine
• If you become stranded, don’t run your vehicle with the windows up or in an enclosed space for an extended period of time to avoid asphyxiation from carbon monoxide poisoning. If you must run your vehicle, clear the exhaust pipe of any snow and run it only sporadically – just long enough to stay warm.

For additional tips and information please visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website or call the Exeter Police Department at 603-772-1212

If you wish to remain anonymous and have information on unsolved crimes, please call Seacoast Crime Stoppers at 603-431-1199 in New Hampshire or in Maine 207-439-1199. You can submit an anonymous tip at seacoastcrimestoppers.org or send us an anonymous text to CRIMES (274637) and include TIPSCS in your message.