The chances of being involved in an automobile accident increase greatly around the Thanksgiving holiday season since more drivers are utilizing the roadways. Driving under the influence or failing to wear your seat belt can make matters even worse.
Although the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute and Purdue University Center for Road Safety estimate that 93 percent of Hoosiers buckle up, last year more than half of Indiana’s fatal crashes involved drivers and passengers not wearing seat belts. Impaired-driving also did quite a bit of damage in 2016, resulting in nearly 2,100 injuries and more than 210 fatalities.
The Marshall County Sheriff’s Department and the Plymouth and Bourbon Police Departments will join forces with more than 230 law-enforcement agencies across the state to spot violations to the Indiana seat belt and impaired driving laws. Through the weekend after Thanksgiving, expect to see an increase in saturation patrols and checkpoints and more random patrols.
It is illegal to drive with a blood alcohol concentration of .08 or higher and drivers younger than 21 who have a BAC of .02 or higher are subject to fines and license suspension for up to a year. Recently, the Marshall County Sheriff’s Department and the Plymouth Police Department collectively received 15 portable breath tests to assist officers with this initiative.
Officer Matt Geiger with the Bourbon PD said they advertise the enforcement blitz in order to give drivers and passengers a fair warning to make our roads as safe as possible. He said that their officers live in the communities they serve and will be thankful this holiday if impaired-driving and unbuckled deaths never strike again.
Citizens are encouraged to use common sense during the holiday season. Never drive under the influence, always buckle-up and be sure children under the age of 8 are properly secured in an appropriate car or booster seat. To choose the right car seat for a child’s height and weight, visit safercar.gov/therightseat.
