Police Increasing Patrols ahead of the Holidays

By: Corbin Lingenfelter, News Director

Local Sources- There’s no place like home for the holidays.

To ensure everyone makes it there safely, state and local law enforcement have teamed up to curb dangerous driving behaviors and acts. The Safe Family Travels operation was launched this week and will run through New Year’s Day.

“We just want people to make responsible decisions during the holiday season in regards to drinking and driving.” Said Indiana State Police Sergeant Robert Lambert with the Jasper Post. “It’s just really important to us and our families that everybody makes it safe to where they’re going. Everyone has to take the steps to plan ahead if they are going to drink, make sure they aren’t driving so everyone can enjoy the holidays.”

The Indiana State Police recommend having a designated driver, using public transportation, or a ride share service like Uber if you plan on drinking. Officers will say there will be consequences if someone gets behind the wheel after drinking.

Another part of the campaign is enforcing Indiana’s seat belt law. Indiana requires all drivers and passengers to be secured to their seat via a safety belt when riding or driving a vehicle.

“The Indiana State Police has a zero tolerance policy for seat belt violations,” said Sergeant Lambert.

That means State Troopers cannot and will not only issue a warning for seatbelt violations. Statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administrations says over half of last year’s Thanksgiving crash fatalities had individuals unbuckled at the time of the accident.

Police are encouraging all drivers to be cautious, courteous and safe as they travel this holiday season.