Connecticut officials push for safe driving as travel season begins
So normally at the start of the Memorial Day weekend people are talking about gas prices and how high it is and how expensive it is to travel on the holidays.
This time around State Police along with the Connecticut Department of Transportation held a news conference with AAA on Thursday to remind people how dangerous it is out on the roads Especially lately, the numbers of fatalities are going up and up and up.
'It's gotten crazier, people are cutting each other off,' Dawn Williams of Plainville said. 'It's bananas!'
Williams' sister was just in an accident on Interstate 84. As we head into the Memorial Day weekend, the state reminding drivers to stay safe, with an emphasis on the newer, younger driver.
'Having fun isn't worth your life or others,' said Grace Johnson, a student.
Grace Johnson spoke at the news conference, she was in an accident coming home from a football game last September.
'My friend wasn't paying attention,' Johnson said. 'She had a few too many drinks and she was driving recklessly. The music was blasting, and we came down a really sharp turn, unfortunately, she hit a rock wall and ended up hitting a tree which knocked down power lines.'
Everyone was OK, but she's telling her story hoping others will hear it and learn.
'Once I got in the ambulance, and my mom was there, it just all hit me, that I seriously could've died,' Johnson said.
'I dread reading reports learning that someone has died in an accident,' Connecticut State Police Commissioner Ronnell Higgins added.
Higgins, speaking as a father of young drivers, is teaming up with DOT encouraging all drivers to take it slow.
'This isn't just a teen problem, DOT Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto said. 'It's really a public safety and a public health crisis. Distracted and reckless and driving impaired and driving while drowsy doesn't discriminate by age or experience.'
Last year accidents killed 314 people on Connecticut highways. AAA is reminding drivers that it's not just the empty chair at the dinner table or in the classroom, it takes a toll on family and friends and coworkers.
'We want them to have fun, but we just want them to be safe and make smart decisions behind the wheel because one bad decision can be life altering,' AAA spokeswoman Lauren Fabrizi said.
The numbers show that traveling early between 6-8 a.m. is the safest time to drive on the road to get from point A to B with the least amount of traffic.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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