Butler County DUI task force set up all of the signs and cones that would be used in a DUI checkpoint as they where at Butler High School to talk to the teens about the downside of drunk driving on Wednesday May 12, 2010. (Justin Guido Photo)

Justin Guido

State police in Butler are conducting DUI checkpoints around the county for Thanksgiving weekend.

The sobriety checkpoints will be active from Wednesday, Nov. 26, to Sunday, Nov. 30, on roads deemed problematic with DUI offenses, according to a news release.

The American Automobile Association (AAA) projects an increase from last year of 1.6 million people traveling for Thanksgiving between Nov. 25 and Dec. 1, which brings the projected total traveling to 81.1 million people.

Between Nov. 28, 2024, and Jan. 1, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation recorded 1,164 crashes involving drivers under the influence of drugs or alcohol, leading to 809 injuries and 31 deaths.

“Even prescription and over-the-counter medicines can cause drowsiness, dizziness or blurred vision — all similar side effects to when someone consumes alcohol or illegal drugs,” said Mike Tautin, a Community Traffic Safety Project coordinator with the Highway Safety Network.

Additionally, state police are conducting a holiday impaired driving campaign that began Nov. 19 and will end Jan. 1, 2026.

PennDOT recommends avoiding impaired driving by planning rides in advance, using a rideshare service, staying overnight instead of driving and not allowing friends and family to drive impaired.