Results released for holiday traffic safety programs

By Rayma Silvers

The Fort Scott Tribune

The Fort Scott Police Department and the Kansas Highway Patrol are taking great strides to ensure drivers and passengers arrive at their destinations safely.

Both law enforcement agencies participated in the Kansas Thanksgiving Enforcement Campaign which was conducted Nov. 24-30. According to a KHP press release, this Special Traffic Enforcement Program project, sponsored by the Kansas Department of Transportation, was created to minimize traffic-related injuries and fatalities.

During the STEP program, local law enforcement officers worked overtime, aggressively enforcing Kansas occupant protection, impaired driving, and other traffic laws, according to a press release from the FSPD.

"Over the period Nov. 24-30, officers wrote one child restraint citation, 15 speeding citations, no DUI citations and 32 other citations," the FSPD press release said. "All told, officers made 44 enforcement contacts during that period."

KHP officers, who also stepped up their patrols for the STEP program, wrote 1,933 citations for speeding and issued 1,710 speed warnings. Officers gave 248 drivers tickets for safety belt violations and 126 motorists received safety belt warnings.

Although the majority of drivers were compliant with the child restraint laws, KHP issued 67 citations for non-child restraint usage and gave four child restraint warnings. Officers issued 61 DUI citations during the program. The KHP reported only one crash that resulted in a fatality, and seven DUI-related crashes that resulted in one fatality. Reportedly, KHP officers assisted more than 1,300 motorists during the campaign, according to the press release.

According to FSPD Lt. Travis Shelton, the local law enforcement agency will continue to work diligently to keep motorists and passengers safe.

"We hope our efforts encourage safer driving decisions in the future," Shelton said. "We will continue to do all we can to ensure that drivers in Fort Scott are as safe as we can help them to be. Safety begins by adopting two very simple inflexible rules: 'Absolutely no one rides in my car unless buckled in properly' and 'I don't ride with anyone for any reason who has been drinking.'"

KHP suggests travelers allow extra time to get to destinations; check the road conditions before leaving and keep their vehicles' maintenance up to date. In addition, it is imperative for travelers to use seat belts, no matter what distance they are traveling.

"Seat belts are your best defense should you be involved in a collision," the KHP press release said.