Iowa to up patrols for holiday travel

FORT MADISON (WGEM) - The Lee County Sheriff’s Office is warning those driving on the roads throughout the holiday season to take extra precautions.

Sheriff Stacy Weber said the days leading up to and following Thanksgiving are heavy traffic days and law enforcement in Iowa will be out doing some extra patrolling.

The increase will be across the state of Iowa to ensure residents are following seatbelt, texting, and drinking and driving laws.

But, Weber wants to remind you that it’s important to plan ahead if you’re making any trips this week.

“The air in your tires are going to fluctuate so don’t be surprised if you’re getting that low pressure high pressure sensor going off on your tires. Take a few minutes, go over stuff, make sure your car’s ready to go,” said Weber. “If you’re gonna take a long trip, sometimes it’s worth stopping into your local mechanic and letting them take a peek at it before you get out there on the road.”

Weber said to be courteous of emergency personnel or Department of Transportation (DOT) vehicles that may be pulled over assisting drivers during holiday travel.

He said to move out of the way of stopped vehicles, follow the speed limit and drive defensively.

Weber said if you live in Lee County, be mindful of traffic that could pile up on the roads.

He said out-of-town drivers could be going slower trying to find their destinations, and you should make sure you’re obeying speed limits to help the flow of traffic.

“Leave early, wear your seatbelt, pay attention to cars that are on the side of the road,” said Weber. “I can attest to this just two weeks ago I got rear ended at a car accident providing traffic, people need to be mindful of law enforcement and tow trucks and DOT vehicles on the side of the road.

Copyright 2022 WGEM. All rights reserved.