Local law-enforcement agencies will be stepping up patrols this holiday season in an attempt to stop drunken driving and keep roads safe.
Through a Selective Enforcement Grant from the Department of Motor Vehicles, some Fredericksburg-area agencies will be setting up checkpoints or sending out roving deputies to monitor driving this weekend.
Sgt. F.L. Tyler from the Virginia State Police said there will also be added enforcement on the highways.
"We'll have 75 percent of our manpower out on the travel days," Tyler said. "It's one of the most traveled holidays of the year."
Last year, 16 people were killed in accidents over the holiday weekend, according to state police. Alcohol was said to be a factor in at least two of them.
The increased patrols are a fairly normal practice in most localities on holiday weekends, and Thanksgiving is one of the designated Combined Accident Reduction Effort weekends, commonly referred to as CARE.
"We always participate in the CARE weekends," said Caroline Sheriff Tony Lippa.
He said a normal weekend shift in Caroline uses about four deputies for patrol, but over Thanksgiving weekend, about 10-12 deputies will be on duty for each shift.
Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania will also be paying deputies and officers overtime with the grant money.
While most of the counties will be using some of their extra deputies to work sobriety checkpoints, Natatia Bledsoe, spokeswoman for the Fredericksburg Police Department, said officers there will be roving throughout the city.
State police have designated the 120-hour travel period for Thanksgiving weekend from yesterday to Sunday, and authorities encourage motorists to take extra precautions and drive safely.
Ellen Biltz: 540/374-5424
Email: ebiltz@freelancestar.com
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.08 The legal limit for blood alcohol content .1407 The average blood alcohol content of a tested drunken driver last year in Virginia 28,787 People convicted of DUI 378 People killed in alcohol-related crashes in Virginia last year --Virginia DMV Crash Facts Report |