MERIDIAN — If you're planning to head to Idaho's mountains this Thanksgiving, be prepared for snow.
With fresh powder expected on Thursday and Friday, law enforcement agencies are warning drivers to look out for hazardous conditions on the roads.
But snow- and ice-covered roads are not the only dangers police are keeping an eye out for.
Record numbers of holiday travelers are expected over the next few days, so Idaho and Oregon state police are out in full force, watching for impaired drivers.
"We will see an influx on our highways going into the hills,” Idaho State Police trooper Eric Pesina said.
In the Treasure Valley, ISP won't have extra patrols on shift but say they are cracking down on aggressive and impaired drivers. These are behaviors they always enforce, so Pesina says it will be like any other day on patrol.
“We had an emphasis [Wednesday] on the east side of Boise, where we were focusing on aggressive drivers,” Pesina said. “There’s going to be a lot more traffic with people commuting, going to see family members and stuff, people going on vacation. So we do see an influx in traffic."
If Oregon is your Thanksgiving destination, KTVB's Chief Meteorologist Rick Lantz says rain, ice, wind and mountain snow could make for a choppy drive in higher elevations in eastern Oregon. Oregon State Police out of Ontario is seeing a high volume of traffic from surrounding states, so the agency has a heavier presence out on I-84 to deter speeding and aggressive drivers.
“More people means more work,” Pesina added.
Idaho State Police is emphasizing DUI patrols over the holidays.
“Come the holidays we do see an increase in alcohol consumption,” Pesina said. “This day and age with everything we have - taxis, Ubers, Lyfts, all these services available - there is absolutely no reason for somebody to get behind the wheel when they're impaired.”
But ISP and OSP do not have designated DUI task forces over Thanksgiving this year; as mentioned, this is a crime they are always cracking down on.
“That’s something we do on a normal day-to-day basis,” Pesina added. “We just patrol the interstates and highways and are looking for that pattern. We also get traffic complaints, [and] the general public is an awesome resource.”
Overall, law enforcement’s message is to stay safe so you can continue to enjoy all that you're thankful for. Make a plan with your friends and family when you plan to drink and make sure you have a designated driver.
“Go out, have a good time," Pesina said. "We're not saying don't go out and have a good time. Go out with friends, family and have a good time, just be responsible.”
More people on the roads also means more accidents. OSP says across the state, distracted driving crashes and deaths have sky-rocketed. In Malheur County alone, they say fatalities have doubled since this time last year and 75 to 80 percent of those crashes were caused by distracted driving, while the other 20 percent were due to impaired drivers. They're begging you to avoid any type of distraction, especially mobile devices like cell phones.
ISP echoes the same plea with drivers: put those phones down. They also want to emphasize Idaho’s 'move over law': if you see anyone pulled off on the side of the road, move over. If you can't because the line beside you is occupied, slow down well below the speed limit.