South Dakota Dept. of Public Safety: Keep safety a priority this Thanksgiving

The South Dakota Department of Public Safety and its agencies remind the public that safety must be a priority.

The Thanksgiving holiday usually means busy highways. The Highway Patrol will conduct a statewide “Operation Safe” today to encourage people to be safe drivers and troopers also will be on the road throughout the weekend.

The 102-hour holiday reporting period for motor vehicle traffic crashes begins at 6:00 this evening and ends at midnight, Sunday. The state Office of Highway Safety says last year in South Dakota during the same reporting period, there were 195 vehicle crashes resulting in 27 injuries and two fatalities.

For those staying at home, state Fire Marshal Paul Merriman says nationally, Thanksgiving is when the most home cooking fires happen every year. Merriman says it’s important, at all times of the year, to have working smoke alarms on each level of the home

It’s also important to be careful while cooking and with the use of candles, fireplaces and other heating sources.

November 23, 2022