Seeking to slow down a trend

Friday, November 25, 2005

This is expected to be a busier Thanksgiving travel year than last year.
In Florida, more than two million people are expected to drive this holiday weekend, and with more cars on the road, there's more chances for traffic accidents.

"Every year we see Thanksgiving is our deadliest travel holiday in Florida," said FHP Trooper Larry Coggins. "This is the time that we have a Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, a four-day holiday, and a lot of people take advantage of the day before or day after and extend the holiday. Traffic is always on the rise and unfortunately crashes and deaths are on the rise."

Coggins says 55 people in Florida lost their lives last year while traveling during Thanksgiving weekend. Fifty-six percent of those people weren't wearing seatbelts, and 44 percent of the crashes were alcohol related.

That's why all troopers, whether they normally work on the roads or not, are on patrol this weekend to provide extra visibility and enforcement.

"Our main goal is to get from point A to point B safely, so we can curb these numbers and bring them down from years' past," said Coggins.

Coggins says drivers should check their cars before starting their trips.


Coggins says people should always buckle up, and shouldn't speed even if they're running late. He also says to check various items on your car before traveling, like the tires, the hoses and belts, and the radiators.

According to AAA, Americans are projected to travel in greater numbers this year compared to last year, with the vast majority of travelers planning road trips of 50 miles or more.