Traffic enforcement on Kansas roads and highways is being stepped up during the Kansas Thanksgiving Enforcement Campaign, which began Monday and runs through Sunday.
According to an announcement from the Kansas Highway Patrol, the project is funded through the Special Traffic Enforcement Program with money from the Kansas Department of Transportation.
“Because of the STEP campaign funding, there will be more troopers, deputies, and police officers on the streets and highways during the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday period, when travel increases in Kansas and across the nation,” KHP Technical Trooper Edna Buttler stated in a news release.
“We’ve all been informed on the highway patrol that today is the start of it,” Trooper Tod Hileman said Monday afternoon. “We extend our shift, work a longer day. And then some of the troops, if it falls in line, they will work their day off, too, to add more enforcement out there ... which basically kind of doubles our enforcement efforts.”
The Patrol, along with local agencies, will focus on impaired drivers, child passenger safety laws, and seat-belt use among travelers of all ages.
KHP offered the following tips to make the holiday time a safer one:
- Allow extra time to get to your destination.
- Check road conditions before leaving. Updated weather and highway conditions may be had by calling 511 in Kansas or 1-866-511-KDOT from out of state. Online access to road conditions is available at http://511.ksdot.org.
- Keep vehicle maintenance up-to-date.
- Always use a seat belt, no matter the travel distance.
Hileman cautioned travelers to remember that holidays always brings more vehicles on the roadways.
“Expect delays. Expect to get caught up in traffic,” he said. “If you start out with that in mind, knowing that it is going to happen, it’s not as frustrating. ...
“We’re trying to really stress that people allow enough time to get where they’re going, and to put their seat belt on.”
Hileman said that people who are thrown from their vehicles are four times as likely to die in a car crash than those who are held inside the vehicle by a safety restraint.
If an accident does happen, Hileman provided the following recommendations:
- Stop; it is a legal requirement.
- Don’t panic or lose your temper.
- Call for help immediately.
- Dial 911 if anyone is injured.
- You have to render aid to the victims, but do not move them unless there is fire or other hazard.
- If there are no apparent injuries and combined damages to vehicles is less than $1,000, drive the car from the roadway to a safe place and exchange information with the other driver.
Last year, an unusually high number of fatal accidents occurred in Kansas during the Thanksgiving holiday period, with 945 collisions that resulted in 243 people injured and nine people dead.
“Of these crashes, 58 were alcohol-related, resulting in 26 injured and two deaths,” the news release stated.
madpoet (anonymous) says...
I wonder how much money they'll make from tickets in the construction zones? It seems like a lot of out of town addresses are listed with speeding tickets in that area. Makes me wonder if people never look at road signs or what. It's clearly posted.
I hope everyone has a safe holiday!
November 25, 2008 at 3:32 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ralpheatsbeef (anonymous) says...
Well, then ... I may have to reconsider my plans to travel with utter abandon ...
November 25, 2008 at 4:25 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
justthefacts (anonymous) says...
I guess enforcing laws that people should obey is better than scraping bodies off the pavement. Better to be known for a place that requires attention to driving that to being a dangerous place to drive.
November 25, 2008 at 6:51 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
justthefacts (anonymous) says...
How about staying on topic?
November 26, 2008 at 5:43 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )