PennDOT, Police Coordinate Efforts to Reduce Impaired Driving, Increase Seat Belt Use During Holiday Travel Season

Uniontown, PA – As the holiday travel season approaches, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) announced a coordinated enforcement initiative today aimed at reducing impaired driving and increasing seatbelt usage on Pennsylvania roadways. This heightened enforcement will help ensure safer travel for all motorists and reduce the risk of crashes, injuries, and fatalities during one of the busiest times of the year.

In connection with the Holiday Season Impaired Driving Campaign, from November 20 through January 1, PSP will conduct increased patrols and checkpoints throughout the state. These efforts will focus on deterring impaired driving, ensuring that all drivers and passengers are wearing seatbelts, and promoting overall road safety. This initiative will include targeted enforcement along major highways, interstates, and other heavily traveled routes, especially during peak travel times.

“We are committed to making Pennsylvania’s roadways safer for everyone, particularly during the busy holiday season when more people are traveling to visit family and friends,” said PennDOT District 12 Safety Press Officer Emily Swecker. “Whether you're driving cross-country or across the street, remember to buckle up and drive sober.”

Impaired driving remains one of the leading factors of traffic-related deaths in Pennsylvania. From November 20, 2023, through January 1, 2024, there were 1,248 impaired driving crashes statewide, according to PennDOT data. Those crashes resulted in 34 fatalities. 

Seat belt use is one of the most effective ways to prevent serious injury or death in the event of a crash. On average, every 47 minutes someone not wearing a seat belt dies in a car crash, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

“The holidays are a time for celebrating with loved ones, but we also know that this is when impaired driving and crashes are most prevalent,” said Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Kalee Barnhart. “Our officers will be out in full force to make sure that impaired drivers are removed from the road and that everyone is buckling up. We want everyone to arrive at their destination safely.”

For more information on impaired driving and seatbelt safety, visit www.PennDOT.pa.gov/Safety.

Motorists can check conditions on major roadways by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 1,000 traffic cameras. 511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional X alerts.

Subscribe to PennDOT news and traffic alerts in Fayette, Greene, Washington, and Westmoreland counties at www.penndot.pa.gov/district12. 

Information about infrastructure in District 12, including completed work and significant projects, is available at www.penndot.pa.gov/D12Results. Find PennDOT’s planned and active construction projects at www.projects.penndot.gov.

Follow PennDOT on X and like the department on Facebook and Instagram.

 CONTACT: Emily Swecker, eswecker@pa.gov or 724-425-3018

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