More traffic enforcement set for Thanksgiving week / LJWorld.com

Archive for Monday, November 17, 2008

Extra law enforcement will hit the streets next week in search of drivers breaking the law.

November 17, 2008

Folks traveling in and out of Lawrence for the Thanksgiving holiday will see more black-and-whites and, officials hope, few interactions with flashing red lights.

Lawrence police, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Department and the Kansas Highway Patrol will be ramping up their presence on streets and highways Nov. 24-30 as part of an annual holiday tradition: The Kansas Thanksgiving Traffic Enforcement Program.

The program, financed by a grant through the Kansas Department of Transportation, is designed to put more law enforcement personnel on alert for impaired drivers and others — children, teens and adults — who aren’t using seat belts or appropriate restraints.

“These (programs) make a difference,” said Steve Halbett, who helps coordinate such programs for the department’s Bureau of Traffic Safety. “On Thanksgiving of 2007, there were almost 2,000 (additional) speeding tickets written across the state of Kansas. …

“Everybody knows there’s a lot of travel. It’s nice to know there is this kind of enforcement going on during this period of high travel.”

Troopers, police officers and sheriff’s deputies from about 130 law-enforcement agencies statewide will voluntarily accept extra duties during the week. The personnel are paid overtime to hit the streets and focus on actions and activities that are considered the most dangerous for travelers.

Topping the list: drunken driving, followed by speeding, failure to yield the right-of-way, driving the wrong way on a street and making improper turns.

“Our overall goal is to make driving safer for everybody,” said Tim McCool, a technical trooper with highway patrol.

The patrol also has a policy of granting “pretty much no warnings” for violating laws regarding use of seat belts and restraints, McCool said. The fine for an adult not wearing a seat belt is $30; for teens it’s at least $60. Driving with a child passenger who is not properly restrained carries a $60 fine, plus $75 in court costs.