While many area residents were traveling from Thanksgiving gatherings, state police were working to keep drivers safe.

Troopers from the Avondale barracks conducted a sobriety checkpoint on Friday, Nov. 25, through Saturday, Nov. 26, at the intersection of Routes 1 and 52 in Kennett Township, said a state police press release.

The checkpoint resulted in 512 vehicle stops, 10 DUI arrests, two misdemeanor drug arrests, 19 summary traffic citations, and 13 written warnings, the release said.

During a checkpoint, troopers periodically stop vehicles at selected locations to observe drivers for behaviors or indications normally associated with impaired driving. The goal is to reduce the number of DUI drivers on Pennsylvania roadways, particularly during high-risk periods such as Thanksgiving.

According to PennDOT data, during the 2015 Thanksgiving holiday travel period, including the weekend before and after the holiday as well as the day itself, 4,029 crashes and 45 fatalities occurred statewide. During the Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s holidays last year, 1,209 of the statewide crashes involved a driver impaired by drugs or alcohol, with 38 fatalities in those crashes.

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