Majority of state troopers working on Va. highways Thanksgiving weekend to keep people safe

“State police will have the majority of its uniformed workforce on patrol from Wednesday through Sunday of the Thanksgiving holiday weekend,” according to Colonel W. Steven Flaherty, Virginia State Police Superintendent.

“Our goal is not to see how many summonses can be issued and traffic violators arrested over the holiday. The purpose of having our troopers out there on Virginia’s highways is to remind the motoring public of the importance of traffic safety, and to deter aggressive, dangerous, reckless, and impaired driving…It is evident by the spike in traffic deaths this year, we still need more drivers and passengers to do their part by buckling up, complying with speed limits, sharing the road, and never driving impaired or distracted.”

Motorists can expect to see an increase in troopers throughout the Commonwealth beginning Nov. 25, 2015, at 12:01 a.m., and continuing through midnight Nov. 29, 2015.

As a result of drivers failing to obey the law during the 2014 Thanksgiving holiday in Virginia, state troopers had to stop and cite 9,856 speeders and 2,315 reckless drivers.

In addition, 706 adults were cited for failing to buckle up as required by state law. Troopers also issued 206 citations for child safety seat violations. A total of 91 drivers were arrested for DUI.