Hit the road with care, caution this Thanksgiving weekend

Due to the influx of travelers during the Thanksgiving holiday season, law enforcement agencies across the nation are on alert in an effort to prevent serious car crashes over the next four days.

"This is the most heavily traveled holiday," said Missouri Highway State Patrol spokesman Dale Moreland.

As a result of so many cars on the roads, most regions experience a spike in serious traffic accidents around the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

In Missouri, there were 82 fatalities resulting from crashes that occurred during the Thanksgiving season over the past five years, said Moreland, or one person killed every 10 minutes over the course of those five days.

Last year, 15 people were killed in wrecks, and 581 people were injured. There were 1,387 wrecks in the state during the 2006 Thanksgiving season.

More than 76 percent of the accidents that took place during the holidays occurred in rural areas of Missouri, Moreland said.

In Illinois, there were 17 fatal crashes resulting in 20 deaths statewide for the 2006 five-day Thanksgiving weekend.

This holiday, Moreland said all available officers will be patrolling the roadways as part of the highway patrol's Combined Accident Reduction Effort initiative.

"The No. 1 cause of accidents is inattentiveness," Moreland said.

State police urge travelers to stay alert, avoid excessive speed and watch out for deer, particularly this time of year when they are on the move.

Deer have been the cause of many accidents already this season, Moreland said.

Illinois law enforcement will be tightening their safety belt policies, enforcing a "zero-tolerance" approach this season. Numerous police and sheriff's departments will set up day and night enforcement zones in conjunction with the "Click It or Ticket" campaign.

"As millions of Americans drive to celebrate the holiday with friends and family, the simplest thing you can do to protect yourself and your family in a car is wear seat belts," Gov. Rod Blagojevich said in a prepared statement.

bdicosmo@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 245