More than 800,000 people from Connecticut will go somewhere for the Thanksgiving holiday, AAA is projecting. Of those travelers, almost 90 percent will be driving to their destinations.
This has the state thinking about our roads, particularly wrong-way driving.
Josh Morgan, with the Connecticut Department of Transportation, said it happens almost every weekend, especially on Friday and Saturday nights. He says the state's highway operation centers are constantly getting notifications that there are wrong-way drivers.
In Connecticut, more than a dozen people have been killed in wrong-way crashes this year alone.
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The state is trying to prevent these types of crashes with the use of wrong-way detection systems. They have 123 installed now and they are confident that they will have 135 by the end of the year.
Morgan said the technology is working and that there have been 195 activations of the system since being installed across the state. According to the DOT, 80% of the drivers in those instances self-corrected and turned around. While they are helping, Morgan says they aren't perfect.
"Sometimes the driver will be allegedly impaired and continue on the highway despite the system lights flashing," Morgan said.
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According to Morgan, impairment is the leading reason for wrong-way crashes.
Gov. Ned Lamont and the state Department of Transportation are urging drivers to slow down, pay attention and drive sober.
State troopers will also be ramping up as people get on the roads to travel for Thanksgiving.
Troopers will be patrolling roads and highways over the long holiday weekend, focusing on stopping aggressive drivers, unsafe drivers and drivers who are under the influence, according to state police.
State police warn you not follow the cars around you too closely. They are asking drivers to maintain the speed limit and stay off your cell phone while driving.
Anyone planning to consume alcohol or use marijuana is asked to designate a driver or call for a rideshare for everyone’s safety and not drive.
“During Thanksgiving week, it is especially important that drivers take the time to arrive at their destination safely. Check traffic and weather reports before you leave home and be prepared as highways will be crowded with other travelers,” Colonel Daniel Loughman, commanding officer of the State Police, said in a statement. “If you are on the roads, please follow all traffic laws and serve as an extra set of eyes for law enforcement: if you see an emergency on the road, please call 911.”
State police said troopers assigned to Bradley International Airport will be helping keep passengers safe.
