Each year Connecticut State Police releases figures on its activity over the Thanksgiving holiday. Its troopers were not sitting down to turkey but out patrolling the roads. Their findings serve as a timely reminder of how poor some drivers are.
While holidays such as Thanksgiving see a spike in crashes because there are more people on the roads, driver behavior does not dramatically change. For instance, while a driver might do something stupid because they are stressed with the holiday tailbacks, chances are they get stressed and react badly in other situations too.
Here are the 2021 figures
This year’s Thanksgiving resulted in the following:
- 593 crashes
- 50 DUI arrests
- 501 Speeding violations
Officer also charged people for 559 other driving offenses such as using a phone, tailgating or making unsafe lane changes.
Many people had lucky escapes
Why do the police arrest or ticket drivers for offenses such as speeding, drunk driving, or using a phone? Because those actions increase the risk of crashing and injuring or killing someone.
Those 50 people arrested for driving under the influence could have killed someone. Those 501 people ticketed for going too fast were more likely to cause an accident and seriously injure or kill someone. Fortunately, this year only one crash was fatal, and 43 caused injuries.
While the drivers the troopers caught may be more cautious from now on, the road is still full of drivers who do not treat the right to drive with the respect it deserves. They may not have crashed yet, but the odds are they will do at some point.
If they injure you in the process, holding them responsible for their disregard for the rules and safety will be crucial. You should not have to pay for someone else’s negligence or arrogance.
