Be Careful Out There...
12-30-2005, 11:57 AM
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Be Careful Out There...
....driving News Years Eve. Even getting stopped with only a couple under your belt could be a real problem. See the article below.
Expect patrols for drunken drivers this weekend
By JONATHAN KEALING
The Kansas City Star
If you're making New Year's resolutions heading into the weekend, this might be a good one: Don't drink and drive.
Some of the largest police departments in the metropolitan area are bringing in extra manpower and advising extra vigilance on the part of their officers to take impaired drivers off of road for Saturday night's New Year's Eve revelry.
Overland Park police will conduct a saturation patrol as part of a continuing effort to reduce alcohol-related accidents and discourage impaired driving. The department is bringing in seven additional officers who will be spread throughout the city and will be charged with identifying impaired drivers.
The last time Overland Park conducted a saturation patrol was Nov. 18, according to department spokesman Jim Weaver. That night, officers tested 11 people on suspicion of driving under the influence, arresting five of them. The patrol also issued citations for 21 speeding violations and 17 hazardous-moving violations, as well as citations for other offenses.
"Every time we take an impaired driver off the street, that's significantly reducing the risk of accident or death," Weaver said.
Overland Park's saturation patrol will run from 10 p.m. Saturday to 2 a.m. Sunday.
Olathe is also planning a saturation patrol. In Olathe, about 10 more officers will be on patrol, with about that many assigned to patrol and identify drivers who appear to be impaired, said
Nationwide, the number of on-the-road fatalities on New Year's has varied greatly in recent years; however, alcohol has proven a factor in more than half. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, last year's New Year's holiday saw 562 traffic fatalities, 50 percent of which were alcohol-related. In 2003, there were 220 fatalities, 63 percent of which were alcohol-related.
Expect patrols for drunken drivers this weekend
By JONATHAN KEALING
The Kansas City Star
If you're making New Year's resolutions heading into the weekend, this might be a good one: Don't drink and drive.
Some of the largest police departments in the metropolitan area are bringing in extra manpower and advising extra vigilance on the part of their officers to take impaired drivers off of road for Saturday night's New Year's Eve revelry.
Overland Park police will conduct a saturation patrol as part of a continuing effort to reduce alcohol-related accidents and discourage impaired driving. The department is bringing in seven additional officers who will be spread throughout the city and will be charged with identifying impaired drivers.
The last time Overland Park conducted a saturation patrol was Nov. 18, according to department spokesman Jim Weaver. That night, officers tested 11 people on suspicion of driving under the influence, arresting five of them. The patrol also issued citations for 21 speeding violations and 17 hazardous-moving violations, as well as citations for other offenses.
"Every time we take an impaired driver off the street, that's significantly reducing the risk of accident or death," Weaver said.
Overland Park's saturation patrol will run from 10 p.m. Saturday to 2 a.m. Sunday.
Olathe is also planning a saturation patrol. In Olathe, about 10 more officers will be on patrol, with about that many assigned to patrol and identify drivers who appear to be impaired, said
Nationwide, the number of on-the-road fatalities on New Year's has varied greatly in recent years; however, alcohol has proven a factor in more than half. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, last year's New Year's holiday saw 562 traffic fatalities, 50 percent of which were alcohol-related. In 2003, there were 220 fatalities, 63 percent of which were alcohol-related.
