As Connecticut residents prepare for the Thanksgiving Holiday the Connecticut State Police have implemented plans for enhancement public safety, enforcement and visibility across Connecticut. Operation C.A.R.E. (Combined Accident Reduction Effort) is an intricate part of the highway safety plan.
State Police will supplement their normal routine patrol personnel with additional troopers over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Troopers will patrol all roads and highways across Connecticut and will focus on drunk drivers and target aggressive and unsafe drivers.
Thanksgiving eve and day are the busiest traffic days of the year. Motorists need to remember:
- don’t follow too closely
- slow down
- stay off cell phones and,
- if you drink then don’t drive.
Troopers will man sobriety checkpoints and roving DUI patrols will also be set up to target DUI problem areas across the state throughout the entire weekend. State police are committed to reducing crashes through preventive enforcement initiatives such as safety spot checks at sobriety checkpoints. Troopers will also be looking for the violators that cause accidents on Connecticut roads and highways. Every effort to reduce accidents is being taken but residents are urged to be a part of the pubic safety solution. Residents should remind all young people, especially college students returning home the first time this semester, of the rules regarding alcohol consumption and drinking and driving.
Troopers will use non-traditional patrol cars to observe traffic and issuing tickets to reckless distracted drivers. If you see a suspected drunk driver call 911.
Colonel Danny Stebbins said, “State Troopers will work very hard to keep our Connecticut roads and highways safe. Help us reduce accidents, drive with extra caution this Thanksgiving holiday. As we do our part through enforcement, please do your part by driving safely. At this busy time of year we urge all parents to take the time and talk to their young adults about the dangers of underage drinking.”
Residents are also reminded to be safe in their homes. Cooking fires nearly double during the Thanksgiving Holiday. The following safety tips will help keep our citizens safe:
- Keep your family and overnight guests safe with working smoke detectors in your home. Test smoke detectors monthly and replace batteries at least twice a year. Remind your guests of your fire escape plan and designated meeting place for your home.
- Have a fire extinguisher available not more than 10 feet from the stove, on the exit side of the room.
- When cooking, do not wear clothing with loose sleeves or dangling jewelry. The clothing can catch on fire and the jewelry can catch on pot handles, causing spills and burns. Try to cook on the back burners when possible and turn pot handles in so they don’t extend over the edge of the stove.
- Never leave cooking unattended. If you must leave the kitchen while cooking, turn off the stove or have someone else watch what is being cooked. Keep small children out of the kitchen during cooking.
- Keep Thanksgiving decorations and kitchen clutter away from sources of direct heat.
- Candles are often part of holiday decorations. Candles should never be left burning when you are away from home, or after going to bed. Candles should be located where children will not be tempted to play with them, and where guests will not accidentally brush against them. The candleholder and any surrounding decorations should be completely noncombustible.
