PIKESVILLE, MD – If you plan to be out on the road this Thanksgiving anywhere in Maryland, be aware of your surroundings: Maryland State Police will be out in force on area roads. Several counties have special enforcement methods planned, including Harford, where there will be a sobriety checkpoint, and Montgomery and Prince George's counties, where extra patrols will blanket the Beltway.

Route 50 will be the focus of troopers on the Eastern Shore, while extra patrol cars will be on I-95 to monitor traffic headed north out of Baltimore. Starting Wednesday, troopers from each of the 23 Maryland State Police barracks will work extra shifts to watch out for signs of impaired driving, aggressive driving, distracted driving and speeding, which are all common causes of traffic fatalities during the busy holiday travel season, according to a statement from the agency.



Extra troopers will be out on the road through Sunday not only to enforce the law, but to use a "variety of patrol initiatives to keep traffic moving, respond quickly to highway incidents and take appropriate enforcement action when violations are observed that threaten the safety of travelers," the statement says. Troopers from the JFK Highway Barrack patrol I-95 from north of Baltimore to the Delaware line will implement Operation Keep It Moving on Wednesday and again Sunday, with a focus on keeping interstate traffic moving and minimizing delays caused by crashes and traffic violations. Troopers will also be on duty at the Maryland House and Chesapeake House rest areas to deter crime and help travelers.

Bel Air Barrack troopers will conduct a sobriety checkpoint in cooperation with the Harford County Traffic Task Force, which includes the Harford County Sheriff's Office, Bel Air Police, Aberdeen Police, and Havre de Grace Police departments. DUI saturation patrols will also occur during the week in high crash/DUI areas. Troopers from the Rockville, Forestville and College Park Barracks will have increased patrols on I-495, I-95 and I-270. Troopers are being warned to be extra vigilant since more than one dozen troopers have been struck so far this year on the Capital Beltway alone; the most recent mishap was Sunday night on I-495 in Prince George's County when a suspected drunk driver went off the highway and struck a marked patrol car.



Troopers from the Golden Ring, Westminster and Waterloo Barracks will all conduct DUI saturation patrols in their counties. Patrols will be occurring each day, from Wednesday through Sunday.

The Frederick, Hagerstown, Cumberland, and McHenry barracks are deploying extra troopers along I-70 and I-68, with the largest number of troopers working during the peak travel times on Wednesday and Sunday. Like troopers working other interstates, they will focus on keeping traffic moving and assisting motorists who need help.