Natchez Trace Parkway Will Conduct Saturation Patrols on Sunday, February 5, 2017

Date: February 3, 2017
Contact: Chief Ranger Sarah Davis, [phone]

LEE CO, MS– The Natchez Trace Parkway (Parkway) law enforcement rangers will conduct high intensity patrols on February 5, 2017, as part of a national effort to promote traffic safety. In conjunction with the National Park Service Traffic Safety Coalition, rangers continue to target dates associated with increases in traffic deaths. This event targets traffic associated with Super Bowl Sunday. Inattentive and impaired driving, speeding, not wearing seatbelts, and unlicensed drivers are recurring factors in fatal accidents on the Parkway. The goal of the operation is to provide a deterrent effect and arrest drivers for these and other traffic offenses, by significantly increasing patrol coverage on the Parkway.
 
You can help prevent a Driving Under the Influence (DUI) arrest from occurring. If your gathering or celebration includes alcohol or if you are away from home, make plans to designate a sober driver for your guests or yourself. A DUI and/or drug-impaired arrest can cost more than $10,000 in fines, include jail time, loss of driver’s license, attorney fees, higher insurance rates, and can cause embarrassment when friends and family find out.
 
The National Park Service recommends these safe alternatives to drinking and driving:

• plan a safe way home before the festivities begin;
• designate a sober driver;
• visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Association’s Something To Think About website at https://www.nhtsa.gov/something-think-about;
•  if you see a drunk driver on the road, don’t hesitate to contact 911; and
• if you know people who are about to drive after drinking, take their keys and help them make other arrangements to get to their destination safely.

About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 417 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov.