BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Thinking about driving to your Thanksgiving family gathering considerably faster than the law allows?
Well, be prepared to pay the price — with your money or, perhaps, your life.
A recent study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration revealed Thanksgiving is the deadliest day of the year for drivers in the U.S.
Fatal car crashes are 272% higher on that day than the rest of November, with an average of 405 fatal crashes.
Last year, during the Thanksgiving holiday traffic enforcement period, Troop M of the Pennsylvania State Police investigated 80 crashes, including 27 DUI arrests. (Bethlehem-based Troop M covers Lehigh, Northampton and Bucks counties).
In an effort to ensure drivers in Lehigh Valley abide by speed limits and remain mindful of not being distracted, Troop M announced its official enforcement period begins at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday and concludes at 11:59 p.m. Sunday,
This safety initiative P.A.D.E.E.P (Pennsylvania Aggressive Driving Enforcement Education Program) targets drivers who aggressively operate their vehicles in a manner that is dangerous to the public. That includes speeding, seat belt violations and child seat belt infractions.
Troopers will also be concentrating their efforts on distracted drivers who text while driving.
A DUI checkpoint will also be conducted at an undisclosed location Friday through Sunday in Northampton County.
"No one benefits from driving recklessly — not that driver or other motorists,” said Trooper Nathan T. Branosky, public information officer for Troop M. “We see it on our larger roadways like I-78 and Routes 22 and 33, but also on smaller roadways like (Routes) 309 and 100.
“Over the holidays, driving like that is an appetite for disaster — speeding, more vehicles on the road, people in a hurry, it gets darker earlier.
“So we’ll be targeting those drivers. The last thing we want to do as troopers is to inform someone’s family their loved one won’t be coming home.”
“No one benefits from driving recklessly — not that driver or other motorists."Trooper Nathan T. Branosky
The American Automobile Association (AAA) projects 55.4 million travelers will head 50 miles or more from home over the Thanksgiving holiday travel period.
This year’s Thanksgiving forecast is an increase of 2.3% over last year and marks the third-highest Thanksgiving forecast since AAA began tracking holiday travel in 2000.
A decrease in the price of a gallon of gas should also contribute to a higher volume of vehicles over Thanksgiving.
On Tuesday, AAA reported the average price in Pennsylvania is $3.59 per gallon, 43 cents less than a year ago on the same date.
In the Lehigh Valley, the average price per gallon is $3.38 — 17 cents less than in October and 58 cents less than a year ago, according to AAA.
When it comes to traveling, especially over the holidays, going slow on the road is a good thing.
But when travelers are looking to board their flight on time to reach a destination on Thanksgiving, slow is a bad thing.
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg said travelers should anticipate flight delays surrounding Thanksgiving due to some weather concerns and busy skies.
Approximately 50,000 flights are scheduled across the U.S. on Wednesday, likely meaning crowded airports and long lines.
“One piece of advice I tell people is, get to the airport early and stay engaged. Mother Nature can cause interruptions in flights.”Colin Riccobon, spokesman, Lehigh-Northampton Airport Authority
At Lehigh Valley International Airport, the goal is to get planes in the air on time.
“But anytime the holiday season approaches, volume increases,” said Colin Riccobon, spokesman for Lehigh-Northampton Airport Authority. “We expect similar increases this year to last year at ABE. So that’s a factor.
“One piece of advice I tell people is, get to the airport early and stay engaged. Mother Nature can cause interruptions in flights.”
Riccobon said the Transportation Security Administration has told him an increase in passenger traffic is anticipated.
“Wednesday and Sunday look to be the busy days at ABE,” he said.
The addition this summer of a $35 million TSA checkpoint at the airport in Hanover Township, Lehigh County, should help move passengers on their way more quickly than before.
“That’s the other piece that will help if there are delays,” Riccobon said. “Now, we have three (screening) lanes; last year we only had two.”
Passenger traffic at the airport has rebounded since the coronavirus pandemic, Riccobon noted.
“In September and October, we had our highest passenger traffic volume since 2004,” he said. “Last year’s numbers were back where we were pre-pandemic.”
