Ohio State Highway Patrol will be heavily enforcing roadways for Thanksgiving holiday

ZANESVILLE – Thanksgiving is one of the busiest travel times of the year. The patrol will of course be on the lookout for impaired drivers but it is also cracking down on seatbelt violations. Last year’s Thanksgiving period, 18 people were killed in fatal crashes and 8 of those deaths came from people who were not wearing their seatbelts.

“So, this holiday, we’re looking out for OVI and we’re also going to be looking out for seatbelts. Those two things are what killed quite a few people last year and we just want to make sure that we’re doing our part to make sure people are safe,” State Trooper Brice Nihiser said.

For any motorist who is considering taking their chances by driving impaired, there is a high probability that they will be pulled over and dealt with accordingly.

“So, enforcement this week is definitely going to be heavy. All troopers, sergeants, (and) everybody in the patrol is going to be out. If you drive impaired, there’s a very good chance that you’re going to be caught and you will be arrested,” Nihiser said.

Motorists are encouraged to call #677 to report impaired drivers, drug activity, or stranded motorists.