Maine State Police are warning motorists that they are planning to beef up traffic enforcement over the long Thanksgiving weekend by putting additional troopers on highway patrol, as well as conducting surveillance from airplanes.

“Troopers will be looking for aggressive, impaired and texting drivers,” Col. Robert Williams, chief of the Maine State Police, said in a statement issued Tuesday. “In addition, troopers will also be looking for seat belt violators following a rash of fatal crashes this month in which occupants were not buckled up.”

Williams said that in six of the past 10 highway deaths, crash victims were not wearing seat belts. All of the victims died after being thrown from their vehicles.

Williams said the four-day Thanksgiving weekend traditionally has been a deadly one on Maine roads. There have been at least four reported deaths in each of the last four Thanksgiving weekends.


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