Holiday travelers urged to Buckle Up, Drive Safely

LANSING.  Starting tomorrow night, Michigan State Police (MSP) troopers will be patrolling the roads as part of the nationwide Operation C.A.R.E. (Combined Accident Reduction Effort) traffic safety initiative for the duration of the Thanksgiving travel period.

“Throughout the weekend, troopers will be watching for unsafe driving behaviors with a special emphasis on motorists driving under the influence,” stated Col. Kriste Kibbey Etue, director of the MSP. “Our goal is to reduce traffic crashes and fatalities on Michigan’s roadways during the Thanksgiving travel period.”

The official Thanksgiving travel period begins at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, November 21, 2012, and runs through midnight on Sunday, November 25, 2012.  Typically, the night before Thanksgiving is the busiest bar night of the year.  Last year, seven fatal traffic crashes resulted in seven deaths during the Thanksgiving holiday period.

Operation C.A.R.E. began in 1977, as a collaborative effort between the MSP and Indiana State Police, and is one of the nation’s longest-running traffic safety initiatives. Today, it includes state and highway patrol agencies from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Ontario Provincial Police, Quebec Police Force and the Virgin Islands.