Thanksgiving: One of the most dangerous times to drive
Date Posted:
Wed, Nov 21 2012,
WKYC Cleveland
MEDINA -- The Ohio Highway Patrol is gearing up for one of the most dangerous times of the year on the roads.
For troopers, Thanksgiving is no holiday. They will be out in force, looking for dangerous drivers.
"We'll be targeting the distracted driver and the impaired driver, whether it's drugs, or drinking," said Sgt. Joel Smith, from the OHP Medina Post.
Starting Wednesday, sobriety checkpoints will begin all across Northeast Ohio. Second to New Year's Eve, the Thanksgiving holiday period - from Wednesday through the weekend - sees the most fatalities from drunk driving crashes.
According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Thanksgiving accounts for roughly 40-percent of all drunk driving deaths for the whole year.
While keeping drunks off the road is the goal of law enforcement -- it's become a moneymaker for a unique local business.
3 local college graduates from Miami University and Kent State started a company in 2010, that wants to become your designated driver. "Be My DD" is now in over 40 cities, offering personal chauffeur services, or a pickup service, in which a pair of drivers pick up you and your car, and bring you safely home.
COO, Patrick Kucharson says their idea came from the lack of taxis in Cleveland's suburbs.
"The cabs aren't as readily accessible out in the suburbs as they should be, so we saw that there was a need," he said.
The personal chauffeur service costs $14.50/hour, and the pickup service is $25, plus mileage, with the average trip to a suburb, costing $55.
For troopers, Thanksgiving is no holiday. They will be out in force, looking for dangerous drivers.
"We'll be targeting the distracted driver and the impaired driver, whether it's drugs, or drinking," said Sgt. Joel Smith, from the OHP Medina Post.
Starting Wednesday, sobriety checkpoints will begin all across Northeast Ohio. Second to New Year's Eve, the Thanksgiving holiday period - from Wednesday through the weekend - sees the most fatalities from drunk driving crashes.
According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Thanksgiving accounts for roughly 40-percent of all drunk driving deaths for the whole year.
While keeping drunks off the road is the goal of law enforcement -- it's become a moneymaker for a unique local business.
3 local college graduates from Miami University and Kent State started a company in 2010, that wants to become your designated driver. "Be My DD" is now in over 40 cities, offering personal chauffeur services, or a pickup service, in which a pair of drivers pick up you and your car, and bring you safely home.
COO, Patrick Kucharson says their idea came from the lack of taxis in Cleveland's suburbs.
"The cabs aren't as readily accessible out in the suburbs as they should be, so we saw that there was a need," he said.
The personal chauffeur service costs $14.50/hour, and the pickup service is $25, plus mileage, with the average trip to a suburb, costing $55.