BY BRIAN L. HUCHEL
DANVILLE — Rainy weather this fall and hunting season could provide extra hazards for travelers hitting the road for the Thanksgiving holiday.
The AAA in Chicago estimates that more than 2 million people will drive this year as part of the Thanksgiving holiday. Indiana is expected to see as many as 818,000. Both are increases compared to 2008.
And while most think of traffic congestion and speeding drivers, there are other factors to keep in mind this year.
Capt. Dennis Wood with the Vermilion County Sheriff’s Department said the rainy weather has prolonged the harvest for many farmers this year, putting wide and sometimes slow-moving vehicles on many rural highways, such as Illinois Route 1.
“People aren’t used to seeing combines and tractors and grain wagons and semi trucks pulling grain at this time of year as heavily as it is,” Wood said.
The other problem comes from what could come out of that still-standing corn in the fields. Deer-related crashes traditionally increase during this time of year. And fields of corn provide excellent environment for the animals to emerge from, crossing roads and entering the paths of oncoming vehicles.
“The standing corn doesn’t allow for a lot of reaction time” by drivers, Wood said.
Sgt. Bill Emery of the Illinois State Police District 10 in Pesotum said some people will opt for rural highways because of heavy traffic on interstates. That’s not always the best decision.
“Because they’re taking the scenic county roads, people are not paying attention to their driving,” he said.
This year’s increase in driving comes after a drop of almost 25 percent in Thanksgiving travel as a result of the housing and financial problems for many people, according to the AAA. Across the nation this year, AAA is predicting as many as 33 million people will take to the roads.
Last-minute departures and multi-tasking are the mistakes many drivers make during this time of year.
“The easiest and best thing to do is give yourself plenty of time,” Emery said, adding people behind the wheel should concentrate on just driving rather than other tasks, such as eating, talking on the cell phone and other distractions.
Even if the driver’s concentration is up to par, the vehicle may not be. Wood said the sheriff’s department sees an increased number of vehicle breakdowns during the holiday season and suggested making sure the vehicle tires and battery are maintained.
With the increase in traffic, several departments — both state and local — are launching enforcement details during the up-coming holiday season. Danville police recently received grant funds to run patrols looking for seat belt usage, DUIs and others.
Both Illinois and Indiana state police also are launching holiday initiatives with an emphasis on the same violations, as well as speeding and aggressive, unsafe driving.
