grow closer and traffic increases

Whether you are making plans for the upcoming holiday season to travel or plan to stay in Pike County, it is important to be aware of increased traffic through Troy, according to the Troy Police Department.

"There is an awful lot of traffic passing through Troy this time of year," said Sgt. Benny Scarbrough, public information officer with the Troy Police Department. "People need to be cautious and aware of their surroundings when they are driving."

Although there may be a lot of shopping to do and people to see, Scarbrough advised drivers not to be hurried and to allow plenty of time to get where they are going.

Besides obeying speed limits, motorists should obey the new primary seatbelt law and child restraint laws, said Troy Police Chief Anthony Everage.

The primary seatbelt law requires all front seat passengers to wear seat belts and says officers can pull over and ticket violators without another offense being committed.

Section 32-5-222 of the Code of Alabama requires all children under six years old to be in "a child passenger restraint." The car seat or device must be either federally approved or approved by the vehicle manufacturer and be used properly.

The fine for violating the child restraint law is $10 plus court costs, totaling about $130. But the ultimate price is for someone to lose his life because of failure to wear a safety restraint, he said.

"The ramifications of not doing it from a safety aspect are far greater than the fine," Everage said.

"The law is here for safety purposes to promote a safe environment for all people."

With Veterans’ Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas and school breaks associated with those holidays, a lot of people are going to be on Pike County roads.

"During that time be especially conscious of safety," Scarbrough said. "If one person can be prevented from being harmed then it is worth all our department’s effort to educate the public about child restraints and seat belts."

This and other holiday season safety tips will be on the Troy Police Department’s Website.