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Law enforcement agencies are preparing for an increase in traffic and possible roadway incidents as students and family travel for spring break.

Covington County Sheriff Blake Turman is cautioning local drivers to be aware of increased traffic, especially along those routes used by vacationers on their way to Florida’s beaches.

Turman said some colleges, such as Auburn University and the University of South Alabama, had spring break the week beginning March 4 and that others will follow through April 14. Troy University and the University of Alabama are each on spring break the week of March 11-17. Public schools will also be on spring break, for the most part, during that same time period.

“Drivers should expect heavy traffic locally on all beach routes, such as  AL 55, AL 52, US 29, AL 137, US 331, US 84,” Turman said. “Traffic tends to bottle neck in town so use caution.  Sometimes a longer route locally will be quicker due to the traffic. Let the traffic lights help you. The sheriff’s office will be out in force.”

State Troopers with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency will also increase patrols during the spring break period. The Alabama Law Enfocement Agency will launch its third annual “Think Smart Beforew You Start Spring Break” campiagn. There is a special focus this year on impaired driving and opiod use.

“Tuesday night, Governor Kay Ivey announced during the annual State of the State Address that she has tasked ALEA with combatting dangerous opioids such as Fentanyl, through the State’s Drug Task Force,” said ALEA Secretary Hal Taylor. “The opioid crisis is a growing issue across the nation, and it affects our communities, schools and our loved ones. I would like to reassure the citizens of Alabama that this a top priority of ALEA and we will continue to viciously combat the opioid epidemic through all areas of law enforcement to preserve public safety. This includes targeted enforcement initiatives reducing both drug trafficking as well as impaired driving, in conjunction with educational campaigns and community outreach programs.”

Troopers along with Special Agents within ALEA’s State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) regularly partner with local schools and other organizations such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), the Alabama Farmers Federation (ALFA) and the Alabama Alcoholic Beverage and Control (ABC) Board to conduct educational events across the state including the Fatal Vision Program, Operation Save Teens and ABC’s Underage, Under Arrest Program. All three programs provide insight to the dangers of driving while impaired and the consequences of consuming alcohol and drugs. SBI utilizes goggles within its Fatal Vision program which simulate the effects of two different types of impairment, one which simulates the impairment of drugs and the other alcohol. Since the beginning of the current fiscal year, ALEA Special Agents and Troopers have conducted 107 of these specialized community outreach events.

Director of ALEA’s Department of Public Safety (DPS), Colonel Jon Archer said, “Driving while impaired by any substance, legal or illegal, puts all motorists on Alabama roadways at risk. While spring break, prom and other seasonal activities are around the corner, we encourage parents to take this opportunity to speak directly to their children about the dangers of opioids at parties or other social gatherings and have a real conversation about the dangers of driving while impaired. To the students, we ask that you please ‘think smart before you start this spring break’ and speak up if you see a friend or loved one preparing to drive impaired.”

Many substances can impair driving, including alcohol, marijuana, opioids, methamphetamines, or any potentially impairing drug–prescribed or over the counter. Alcohol, marijuana, and other drugs can impair the ability to drive because they slow coordination, judgment, and reaction times. Cocaine and methamphetamine can lead to aggressive and reckless driving behaviors. Using two or more drugs at the same time, including alcohol, can amplify the impairing effects of each drug a person has consumed. Some prescription and even over-the-counter medicines can cause extreme drowsiness, dizziness, and have other side effects that diminish anindividual’s ability to safely operate a motor vehicle. Citizens should read and follow all warning labels before driving and note that warnings against “operating heavy machinery” include driving a vehicle.

In addition to under-age drinking and drugs, parents and teens should be aware of candy laced with cannabis, fentanyl and other substances that are manufactured and packaged to look like actual candy. The packaging may only have small changes in spelling and may include such terms as “medicated,” “THC” and “60 Minute Activation Time.”

Fentanyl is considered a powerful synthetic (lab-made) opioid that is FDA-approved to treat severe pain related to surgery or complex pain conditions. Over the past decade, fentanyl that is made and distributed illegally and other illegally made synthetic opioids are increasingly being found in the drug supply. People both knowingly consume fentanyl and other synthetic opioids and in certain incidents consume and mix them with other drugs, such as heroin, cocaine, or counterfeit pills. This terrible drug remains a growing concern across the nation and will continue to be an educational focus of ALEA’s Public Affairs Unit during safety presentations and community events across the state.