Officials: Patrols to be stepped up across Tri-parish highways

Last Thanksgiving was the deadliest holiday of the year in Louisiana, and area law enforcement agencies are stepping up patrols to ensure this year’s numbers are lower.

In 2005 across the state, 17 people were killed in vehicle crashes, according to the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission.

Although an exact cause for last year’s spike is unknown, officials attribute the increased volume of out-of-area traffic following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita as a possible factor. Regardless, officials agree Thanksgiving historically is a high traffic time as more motorists set out to visit family.

“You have a lot more people traveling around on Thanksgiving,” said Larry Weidel, spokesman of the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office. The LPSO, Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office and Louisiana State Police all warned drivers to expect stepped up patrols through the weekend.

“We generally see more traffic this time of year because it is a family-type holiday,” Weidel said. “More so than Mardi Gras and New Year’s Eve. Our mission is to be visible and make sure motorists are obeying the rules of the road.”

Adherence to the rules of the road is a major concern for Col. James E. Champagne, executive director of the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission.

According to Champagne, the most common causes for highway fatalities are also the most preventable: driving while intoxicated, failing to wear a safety belt and driving aggressively.

“We cannot determine why there were more deaths than last Thanksgiving, but we do know that the best solution to lowering the fatality rate is for all motorists to exercise preventive tactics,” he said. “Obey the speed limit, don’t drink and drive and make sure everybody in your vehicle buckles up.”

A simple measure like buckling one’s seatbelt can reduce a driver’s chances of being killed in a crash by half, he said.

Trooper First Class Rodney Hyatt, spokesman for the Louisiana State Police Troop C, said patrols have been increased on the Tri-parishes’ state highways.

“We’ve been blessed in our area because we have actually witnessed a drop in the fatality rate around the Thanksgiving holidays,” he said. The trooper attributes the decrease to people paying more attention, being more cautious and patient behind the wheel and to buckling up and wearing a safety belt.

“It all helps,” he said. “Maybe people are finally starting to get that message around the holiday season. They want to spend time with loved ones for holidays to come and they are heeding the warning.”

Hyatt has another warning for motorists this holiday season: Don’t expect any leeway.

“A lot of people think they can go an extra 5 mph or 10 mph over the speed limit without being stopped,” he said. “We practice a zero-tolerance when it comes to that.”

Champagne said alcohol played a factor in 11 of the deaths n almost 65 percent n during the 2005 Thanksgiving break. That’s not news to local law enforcement officials. “Even on family holidays there is sometimes excessive celebrations that take place,” Weidel said.

Champagne offered his own warning. “State and local law enforcement agencies will be out in force during the holidays to get drunk drivers off of Louisiana’s roadways,” he said. “If you are caught driving while intoxicated, you will go to jail.”