Today (Wednesday) marks the beginning of the Thanksgiving weekend, and motorists should expect an increased presence of law enforcement on the roadways. Iowa State Patrol Trooper and District 4 Public Resource Officer Shelby McCreedy says Thanksgiving sees the most travelers of any holiday throughout the year.
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Upwards of 50 million Americans are predicted to travel by car this weekend, which increases the likelihood of crashes. McCreedy says there is an increased focus on impaired driving, but all of the safety tenets should be put to the forefront.
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McCreedy adds these recommendations are always relevant, but they are even more after coming off of the worst Thanksgiving weekend in recent memory last year.
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McCreedy says car “accidents” are surprisingly rare. She says crashes come down to a driver making very poor decisions.
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With many more cars than usual out on the roads this weekend, McCreedy reminds drivers to obey Iowa’s “Move Over” laws, which require drivers to change lanes or slow down for vehicles with flashing lights. As of Tuesday, Nov. 21, Iowa has recorded 330 traffic fatalities, an increase of 12.6 percent over the five-year average.