BETHLEHEM, Pa - The Wednesday night before Thanksgiving is one of the most popular nights of the year to drink alcohol and state police are cracking down this Thanksgiving holiday.
State Police are conducting their holiday enforcement now through 11:59 p.m.Sunday, December 1, 2024.
Don't be surprised to see sobriety checkpoints and heavier police presence.
AAA also anticipates that over 70 million people will be traveling by car across the country, with 3.4 million of them expected on the Pennsylvania Turnpike.
This safety initiative P.A.D.E.E.P (Pennsylvania Aggressive Driving Enforcement Education
Program) targets drivers who aggressively operate their motor vehicle in a manner which is
dangerous to members of the public, which include speeding, seat belt violations and child seat
belt infractions.
Troopers will also be concentrating their efforts on distracting drivers who
violate:
• Title 75 § 1621 Texting While Driving
• Title 75 § 1622 Handheld Mobile Telephone
• Title 75 § 3314 Prohibiting Use of Hearing Impairment Devices
• Title 75 § 3316 Prohibiting Text-Based Communications
• Title 75 § 3714 Careless Driving
• Title 75 § 3736 Reckless Driving
In addition, S.T.E.A.D.D. (Selective Traffic Enforcement Against Drunk Drivers) and D.R.E. (Drug
Recognition Expert) Troopers will specifically focus on apprehending motorists who operate their motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs, according to the press release.
During the Thanksgiving Holiday Traffic Enforcement Period of 2023, Troop M (Lehigh County,
Northampton County and Bucks County) Troopers investigated a total of 68 crashes and made
27 Driving Under the Influence arrests:
A Driving Under the Influence (DUI) Checkpoint will be conducted by members of PSP
Bethlehem during this Thanksgiving enforcement period now through Sunday, December 1, 2024) within Northampton County.
A sobriety checkpoint is a traffic safety checkpoint wherein Troopers systematically stop vehicles at selected locations to briefly observe drivers for articulable facts and/or behaviors normally associated with alcohol or drug impairment.
The Pennsylvania State Police is committed to maintaining a safe environment for the motoring
public. A sobriety checkpoint is intended to achieve this goal.
Motorists are reminded of the mandates of Title 75 Section 3733, Fleeing or Attempting to Elude Police Officer, which stipulates that any driver of a motor vehicle who willfully fails or refuses to bring their vehicle to a stop, or who otherwise flees or attempts to elude a pursuing police officer, commits an offense, graded up to a Felony of the 3rd Degree, which carries a maximum sentence of 7 years in prison, a $15,000 fine, and restitution for damages and/or injuries sustained as a result of the pursuit.
Please drive safely, do not drink and drive, and use a designated driver whenever possible.