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. Continue reading →