From the Jasper Police Department the numbers report for the JPD’s involvement with the increased enforcement during the 2016 Thanksgiving holiday travel period have been released.
Police say during the 24 day enforcement period, 38 tickets were written, and 3 arrests were made for driving while intoxicated within the city of Jasper. In addition, officers arrested 5 people for possession of marijuana, 3 drivers were picked up for driving with a suspended driver’s license. Officers also issued 184 warnings.
Assistant Police Chief Nathan Schmitt says the foundations of driving safe begin with important actions such as wearing your seat belt and not driving intoxicated. Schmitt says these actions and their messages extended well beyond the travel season, and that police will continue driving those messages home to drivers and passengers alike.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says on average, more than 10,000 people die on U.S. roadways, due to intoxicated driving.
When it comes to buckling up, in 2014 alone, statistics show seat belts saved an estimated 12,802 lives nationwide. In Indiana, in 2015, seat belt use in passenger cars was 91.9 percent, up from 90.2 percent the year before.
Increased enforcement during the Thanksgiving Holiday period is an annual statewide effort supported by federal highway safety funding. The Indiana Criminal Justice Institute distributes funding to more than 250 participating Indiana law enforcement agencies.
