Richmond, Va (Newsradiowrva.com) - Virginia State Police (VSP) reports that the Commonwealth experienced a 53% decrease in the number of fatal traffic crashes over the 2023 Thanksgiving holiday.
"Any death is one too many, but we only had nine over the five-day counting period from the 22nd through the 26th," says Matt Demlein, VSP spokesperson. "That compares to the 19 fatalities that we had in 2022."
VSP says that in a majority of the crashes, the ones who died were not wearing a seat belt.
Over the Thanksgiving holiday period, VSP was participating in the annual Operation Crash Awareness and Reduction Effort, or C.A.R.E. During the operation, police cited 4,520 drivers for speeding, 1,840 for reckless driving and 427 for not wearing a seat belt.
There were also 89 people arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.
While the overall reduction in crashes is positive news, VSP is reminding everyone to drive safely and drive sober as we head into the winter holiday season. Police remind Virginians to buckle up, not follow too closely, comply with posted speed limits, and always drive drug and alcohol-free.
