Patrols in some states increase control over truckers during the holidays

The US Patrol Service plans to do increased patrolling during the New Year holidays, teaming up with 10 other states.

The Western States Traffic Safety Coalition (WSTSC) “will take special efforts on New Year’s Eve to ensure that drivers’ behavior doesn’t lead to fatalaties or injuries on the roads.”

The coalition include 11 states: Arizona Department of Public Safety, California Highway Patrol, Colorado State Patrol, Idaho State Police, Montana Highway Patrol, Nevada Highway Patrol, Oregon State Police, South Dakota Highway Patrol, Utah Highway Patrol, Washington State Patrol and Highway Patrol Wyoming.

Special emphasis on New Year’s Eve will be placed on drunk-driving. The action will be the third joint WSTSC initiative in recent years.

WSP chief John R. Baptiste said he and his agency “are delighted to be working with our western neighbors to get the message to travelers – slow down! Get into a car sober and stay focused! And know that law enforcements are working together and will always do whatever it takes to stop dangerous drivers and protect you during the holidays.”

“We regularly receive feedbacks from Washington people which show the public’s demand for law enforcement to strictly control law observance and protect our loved ones and other travelers,” Batiste added. “Drunk driving, speeding and careless driving can turn the holidays into a nightmare, we’ll do our best to prevent this from happening.”

During the week between Christmas and New Year in the United States, an average of 300 people die each year in traffic accidents involving drunk drivers, according to the WSP.

Last year, more than 10000 people across the country died in road traffic crashes involving drunk drivers, that’s almost a third of the annual road traffic deaths.