With travelers hitting the road and taking to the skies both in and out of South Florida for the Thanksgiving holiday, officers are urging everyone to stay safe to avoid potential tragedy.
Florida Highway Patrol troopers are reminding drivers not to get behind the wheel while intoxicated as well as remember the following tips:
- Check your tires before leaving
- Watch the speed limit as FHP and other agencies will be doing checkpoints
- Update current emergency contact information in case of an accident
FHP said they pulled over a large amount of drivers last year for driving under the influence despite the COVID pandemic and would like to see that number go down.
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"In November and December last year, which was supposed to be a slow year, in those two months alone we issued 5,400 DUI citations," said FHP Trooper Yanko Reyes. "We also investigated over 1,000 crashes in relation to drugs, alcohol or a combination of both."
FHP is reminding drivers to use a ride sharing service like Uber or Lyft if you do drink while celebrating the holidays - as a DUI charge could come with a suspension of your license or jail time.
“God forbid if you get involved in a crash with serious injuries or you kill somebody, you’re looking at prison time,” Reyes said.
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Reyes said drivers should watch out for road rage and not engage in conflicts with other drivers.
“If you see somebody like that, you know let it go and don’t engage," he added.
In the air, Miami International Airport said they are at pre-pandemic numbers with 132,000 passengers traveling through the airport Tuesday - up 12 percent from 2019.
Last Friday and Saturday, another 150,000 travelers went through with slightly more on Sunday.
TSA experts say Sunday could see even higher numbers with travelers returning home.
