As millions of motorists travel on the highways for Thanksgiving, extra state and local police will also be on the roads.
Police from many area jurisdictions confirm they will have extra patrol officers on the roads enforcing traffic laws. They’ll pay special attention to speeding, seat belt enforcement and possible distracted drivers.
Iowa State Police say nine people died on Iowa roadways over the 2012 Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Six of those people were not wearing seat belts. In Illinois, nine people died in traffic crashes over the 2012 Thanksgiving holiday and three of those deaths involved an impaired driver.
Tollway officials estimate 10 million vehicles will travel on the four roads that comprise the Illinois Tollway between November 27 and December 2. Construction projects on the tollway will be suspended from noon Wednesday, November 27 until 9 a.m. Monday, December 2.
The Iowa Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau announced extra city, county and state officers “will be out in force” from November 25 to December 1, focusing on seat belt use and speed limit enforcement.
Iowa and Illinois state police plan ton increase patrols over the Thanksgiving weekend. Iowa’s extra enforcement began Monday, November 25 and will continue through Sunday, December 1.
Illinois State Police will conduct extra nighttime enforcement patrols in Fulton County, watching for unsafe drivers, invalid drivers, impaired drivers and improper seat belt use. Saturation patrols are also planned for Henderson County and extra seat belt enforcement was planned in Hancock County.
Police in many local cities, including Rock Island, East Moline, Silvis and Moline, Illinois, say they will join state and local law enforcement paying extra attention to possible impaired drivers and to seat belt use. As of January 1, 2012, Illinois law requires everyone in a car to wear a seat belt, no matter where they are sitting.
Rock Island County Sheriff Jeff Boyd says his department will also provide extra enforcement over the Thanksgiving holiday. They’ll pay extra attention late at night, when seat belt use is often at its lowest and impaired driving is more frequent.
