South Dakota Highway Patrol Cautions Holiday Travelers

The South Dakota Highway Patrol is reminding motorists to drive carefully over the Thanksgiving Day holiday.

Captain Kevin Joffer says traffic will be heavy, so motorists need to be prepared for changes in weather and road conditions.

Says Joffer, "Obey the speed limits, don't drink and drive, avoid the distractions within the vehicle, whether it's a cell phone or whether it's other distractions within the vehicle. If you need to answer a call, it's safer to pull over sometimes and take that call."

Joffer says an example of what can happen on the highway took place Monday evening on a stretch of Interstate 29 in Sioux Falls, when 13 vehicles were involved in two separate crashes in a 15-minute period.

He says the road was dry and there were no weather problems, but some distracted drivers rear-ended other vehicles in heavy traffic.