NEW YEAR’S WARNINGS
It’s New Year’s Eve, one of the most festive but also one of the most dangerous holidays on the calendar. Yhe Texas Department of Public Safety and all law enforcement agencies are out in force for the Combined Accident Reduction Effort, C.A.R.E.
All available troopers and other law enforcement officers are out in force for New Year’s Eve, as millions of Texans ring in the New Year. The Combined Accident Reduction Effort, C.A.R.E., not only beefs up law enforcement personnel on patrol, it also means strict, no tolerance enforcement of all the traffic laws, with a special emphasis on Driving While Intoxicated, speeding and seat belt violators.
The State Department of Transportation figures show at least one person, and usually many more, now has dies in Texas every day for more than 13 year./ Novembern 7th, 2000 was the last traffic fatality free day in the state. Since then, more than 45,000 motor vehicle fatalities have occurred on the more than 30,000 miles of public roadways in Texas.
State records go back to 1940, although some in that decade are incomplete. Law enforcement authorities say impaired driving, lack of seat belts and speed are the big three reasons for traffic deaths.
Locally, Brenham police, Washington County Sheriff’s deputies and all of the fire chiefs remind people that using fireworks within five hundred feet of the Brenham city limits is illegal. Fire officials also want to remind people, that in spite of more rain this year, much of the county is extremely dry and fireworks in the country could mean immediately fire danger. If you do want to set off fireworks to begin the new year, have a water supply ready for any potential fire.
‘Celebratory Gunfire’ , the indiscriminate firing of a weapon into the air, is strictly prohibited anywhere. Many people are unaware of the dangers related to firing a weapon into the air and often do so without regard of when and where the bullet falls to the ground.