The Thanksgiving holiday weekend comes with more than
just a stuffed stomach and flocking around the television for the Raiders vs.
Cowboys game – it comes with heightened risks of kitchen fires and distracted
driving.
Local
government agencies and law enforcement have teamed up to offer
safety tips, ensuring an accident-free Thanksgiving from the highway to the
kitchen. Most notably, the Nevada Highway Patrol (NHP) and the Nevada
Department of Transportation (NDOT) urged motorists to take extreme caution on
the roads at a press conference Tuesday afternoon.
Both NHP and NDOT officials acknowledged the heavy
traffic on the roadways during the upcoming four-day weekend and said road
conditions could turn dangerous quickly. Motorists can keep informed on
restricted or closed roads by dialing 511 or checking www.nevadadot.com before
driving. Both entities also stressed the dangers of distracted driving.
“It is prohibited to talk on a cell phone unless a
driver is using hands-free
technology; this includes reading non-voice communication,” NHP
Trooper Chuck Allen said. “We are seeing more motorists violating this law by
reading emails and texting messages while stopped or stalled in traffic or at a
traffic signal.”
Allen added that a citation for running a red light in
the Reno-Sparks area can cost more than $200 and will knock four demerit points
off a driver’s license.
“We see more red light violations this time of year as
motorists hurriedly rush to their next destination,” Allen said. “We also want
drivers to be certain the entire intersection is clear before traveling through
on a green light. It is also against the law to block an intersection and this
practice is seen more frequently during the busy holiday shopping period.”
The roadways are only one of the dangers posed during
the rush of holiday shopping and family dinners. Truckee Meadows Fire
Protection District Fire Marshal Amy Ray said Tuesday that Thanksgiving dinner
preparation causes a spike in the number of cooking fires in northern Nevada.
