‘100 Deadliest Travel Days’ begins this weekend

BRIDGEPORT, W.Va (WDTV) - Everybody wants to have a fun summer, but being reckless on the road can ruin that for many people.

JJ Miller, a representative from AAA, says last year, more than 42,000 people were killed in car accidents, and many of those occurred in the 100 days following Memorial Day Weekend.

“Everybody’s ready to get out on the roadway. Right now, you can hear the traffic. They’re pretty hot, they’re going to be on fire pretty soon because when Saturday and Sunday come and the people are out on the roadway, everybody’s anxious to get away, so there’s a big volume of traffic moving now,” Miller said.

AAA is partnering with local law enforcement to help keep people safe with “Operation CARE” or Combined Accident Reduction Effort.

It’s an initiative to raise awareness for drivers about the dangers of these 100 days.

Harrison County Sheriff Robert Matheny says being mindful on the road and following the law can be the difference between life and death.

“More than anything, be aware of your surroundings and what’s going on. A lot of times, drivers will be become distracted, and that’s when bad things will happen. Their speed will increase, they’ll make an improper maneuver or something will just happen that they’re not ready to react to,” Sheriff Matheny said.

Sheriff Matheny says this effort to increase enforcement is not just trying to catch people violating the law but to prevent accidents and reduce unnecessary harm and death.

“When people are out traveling a lot, of course there are going to be more opportunities for things to go bad. Over the many years that I’ve been in law enforcement, I’ve seen it fluctuate from year to year, so we’re hoping this is a record year for reduction,” Sheriff Matheny said.

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