Today is recognized as one of the busiest travel days of the year. The increased number of motorists on Iowa’s roads will include a boost in state trooper numbers. Iowa State Patrol spokesperson Jessica Lown says the increased presence will involve troopers working additional hours or an additional day this week.
The special traffic enforcement period started on Monday and runs through this coming Sunday. Lown says, during the same enforcement period last year, the state patrol investigated five traffic fatalities. The Thanksgiving Holiday is typically one of the more dangerous times on Iowa’s roads.
Last year, the Iowa State Patrol caught thousands of motorists breaking traffic laws over Thanksgiving. Lown says troopers wrote more than 2,300 speeding citations, issued more than 1,600 speed warnings, issued 325 seatbelt citations, and made 27 drunk driving arrests.