By MIKE FLETCHER
Last Thanksgiving, 15 people lost their lives in Indiana traffic crashes with more than 66 percent of those being alcohol related.
In more than two-thirds of those fatal collisions, the person killed was not wearing a seat belt.
With these numbers in mind, county, city and state police will be out in full force during the upcoming holiday in hopes of making the roads a little safer.
Kokomo, Howard County and the surrounding counties will join the Indiana State Police and more than 250 law enforcement agencies throughout the state to conduct the Safe Family Travel enforcement blitz.
Safe Family Travel is a statewide, annual enforcement campaign that combines high visibility seat-belt and impaired-driving patrols. The enforcement began Friday and runs through Nov. 29.
During this time, officers will work thousands of overtime hours, day and night, to ensure that motorists are driving responsibly and traveling safely on the state’s roadways, said Lt. Jerry Asher of the Howard County Sheriff Department.
“Far too many Hoosiers are losing their lives on our roadways. While we want residents to enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday, we expect motorists to celebrate responsibly by using their seat belts and designating a sober driver before festivities begin,” Asher said.
“It only takes a few seconds to plan ahead and save a life.”
Although nationwide more people are using seat belts than ever before, far too many people are still not buckling up and are paying the ultimate price.
Studies from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have consistently shown that wearing a seat belt increases one’s chances of surviving a crash by more than 50 percent.
Safe Family Travel is a statewide enforcement effort that is funded with federal dollars awarded to Indiana from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The effort encompasses seat belt and impaired driving initiatives.
• Mike Fletcher is the Kokomo Tribune crime reporter. He can be reached at 765-454-8565 or mike.fletcher@kokomotribune.com.
