27 DUI arrests, 300+ speeding citations round out Pa. State Police’s holiday enforcement results

Pennsylvania State Police from Bethlehem -based Troop M on Monday announced the results of its Thanksgiving holiday weekend campaign to combat aggressive driving.

The enforcement, titled “Pennsylvania Aggressive Driving Enforcement Education Program,” ran from 12:01 a.m. Wednesday to 11:59 p.m. Sunday. The enforcement annually targets aggressive driving on state highways. The troop covers Lehigh, Northampton and Bucks counties.

Troopers involved in the Selective Traffic Enforcement Against Drunk Drivers and Drug Recognition Expert campaigns additionally focused on apprehending motorists who operate vehicles under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

In total, troopers investigated 68 crashes and made 27 Driving Under the Influence (DUI) arrests. During last year’s enforcement, there were 80 crashes and 27 DUI arrests. Of the accidents, there were two alcohol-related accidents during this year’s campaign compared with five alcohol-related crashes in 2022.

There were no fatalities in any of the crashes this year or last year. However, nine people were listed by police as being hurt in accidents this year compared with 26 injuries in 2022.

Troopers handed out 302 speeding violations during this year’s enforcement, compared with 342 speeding violations in 2022.

A DUI checkpoint and roving patrol on Saturday was conducted by Troop M at Route 512 and Short Lane in East Allen Township. A sobriety checkpoint is a traffic safety checkpoint, in which police systematically stop vehicles at selected locations to briefly observe drivers for articulable facts and/or behaviors normally associated with alcohol or drug impairment.

Saturday’s checkpoint yielded a single DUI arrest; nine traffic citations; and 27 warnings, said Trooper Nathan Branosky, public information officer for the Troop M.

Pennsylvania State Police in Harrisburg provided additional statewide data, showing overall troopers throughout the five-day enforcement period investigated 979 vehicle crashes, resulting in four fatalities. Alcohol was a factor in 73 of those crashes, according to state police.

Troopers arrested 542 motorists for suspected DUI and issued more than 10,000 speeding citations, as well as issued 1,187 citations for failure to wear a seat-belt and 133 citations for not securing children in proper safety seats, according to state police.

Motorists are being reminded by state police to expect continued increased patrols as part of Troop M’s effort toward traffic safety throughout the holiday season. This is particularly being enforced during the Christmas and New Year’s holidays, state police said.

Anyone who flees a police officer during a traffic stop can face a third-degree felony charge which carries a sentence of up to seven years in jail and a fine of up to $15,000, Branosky said.