With COVID-19 restrictions barely in the rear-view mirror, holiday travel numbers for 2022 are nearing or at pre-pandemic levels. More travelers may be opting for air travel this year, but the numbers are holding steady for holiday road trips, both near and far. It’s time to prepare for the influx of vehicles on not only our highways but on our secondary and rural roads.
Increased Roadway Travel = Higher Traffic Accidents
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), “more motor vehicle traffic crash fatalities” occur “during holiday periods than during non-holiday periods due to increased travel time, more alcohol use, and excessive driving speed.” Preparing for increased roadway travel during the holidays is a key step in reducing accidents. Some questions to consider include:
- Where are your high traffic areas and historical trouble spots?
- Are there special holiday events that generate an increase in non-local traffic?
- When preparing, has dangerous weather been factored into high traffic scenarios?
Celebrations and Impaired Driving
Holiday celebrations often include alcohol, which, despite decades of campaigns warning of the dangers, often leads to impaired driving. Even the driver who ordinarily avoids a drink before getting behind the wheel, makes an exception during the holidays. After all, it’s just one drink, or maybe two, or was it three? The holidays see more drivers on the road, and more of those drivers are likely to have indulged in alcohol.
MoneyGeek reports that drunk driving-related deaths spiked 116 percent above average on New Year’s Day, which makes January 1st the most dangerous holiday for drunk driving. In addition, 61 percent of drunk driving-related fatalities occur on weekends. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day 2022 land on Saturday and Sunday. Additionally, Hanukkah will also overlap with Christmas 2022, being observed from sundown on December 18th to sundown on December 26th, potentially making the roads even more dangerous this season.
Ways to Promote Speed Enforcement During the Holidays
Kustom Signals provides the tools needed to help promote speed enforcement during the holidays for roadway safety.
Handheld and In-Car RADAR
Kustom Signals handheld RADAR products feature innovative technology and solid designs for devices that provide impeccable accuracy and durability, making them the ideal tools on the ground for any traffic officer.
In-car RADAR products from Kustom Signals provide dependable support for your officers and your speed enforcement efforts this holiday season. Our Eagle 3 is the first RADAR to provide a method to independently verify the Doppler patrol speed without an electrical connection to the patrol vehicle.
RADAR Speed Trailers
RADAR speed trailers from Kustom Signals are designed to increase neighborhood safety through speed awareness. While impaired driving remains one of the highest concerns during the holidays, excessive speed is a huge issue as well.
Motorists typically slow down as soon as they see the mounted RADAR display, which is available as a portable or permanent pole mount. Our units are lightweight yet rugged and the MUTCD compliant amber LED displays are highly visible to enhance driver speed awareness.
SMART Variable Message Signs
Variable message signs give you the power to deliver critical information and warnings with large, easy-to-read text and full sign-sized graphics. Make it clear to drivers this holiday season with messages related to topics such as getting a DD, driving sober, and wearing seatbelts.
VMS are quickly and easily installed—ideal for static and dynamic messages. The amber LED lights offer outstanding visibility, perfect for displaying the holiday reminder not to drink and drive.
Handheld LIDAR
From driving while texting holiday wishes to impaired driving after a holiday party, it’s crucial for agencies to keep a close eye on drivers. And that’s when handheld LIDAR becomes crucial during the holiday season.
Kustom Signals has been making handheld speed LIDAR since 1990. We are experienced leaders in our field of technology, providing you with products that have innovative features like the ProLaser 4’s FTC (Following Too Close) mode and the 36x optical zoom of the LaserCam 4. As most other LIDAR cameras don’t even have an optical zoom, our LaserCam 4 leads the pack with its ability to video capture fine details like vehicle make and model as well as seatbelt violations and distracted driving that can lead to fatal crashes.
Kustom Signals is here to partner with you to help promote traffic enforcement during the holidays and throughout the year. Contact us today to find out more about the essential tools that can help you ensure roadway safety.