The Iowa State Patrol is running a Critical Accident Reduction Effort or CARE through the New Year.
Trooper Paul Gardner says they have extra officers on the roadways. “And the goal of this initiative is to reduce serious injury and traffic fatalities through high visibility and enforcement, and we’re going to be addressing concerns such as speeding, distracted driving, seat belt usage and impaired driving through the holiday season,” he says.
Gardner says many people celebrate the New Year with alcohol, and part of that is planning how to get home safely. “We want to make sure that if you are going to any kind of get together that involves alcoholic beverages, we need to make sure that you’re getting a sober design designated driver to get you home safely,” Gardner says. “Last year, December, 2023 we had 34 traffic fatalities on Iowa roadways, over half of those involved and intoxicated driver.”
Trooper Gardner says many accidents happen New Year’s Eve. “Iowa ranked in the top 16 states according to stats that were provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, more than 50% of fatal crashes on New Year’s night involved alcohol,” he says. Gardner says plan ahead and get someone to be your designated driver if you are drinking alcohol as part of your celebration.
(By Pat Powers, KQWC, Webster City)