(FRANKFORT, Ky.) — With fatalities on Kentucky’s roadways up compared to last year’s statistics, the Kentucky State Police are implementing Operation R.A.I.D. (Remove Aggressive, Impaired and Distracted drivers from Kentucky Roadways) in an effort to save lives and reduce injury-related crashes during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday season.
Through November 19 of 2014, 585 lives were lost on Kentucky’s highways. For the same time period in 2015, 652 people were killed.
“KSP will focus its enforcement efforts on aggressive, impaired and distracted driving behaviors along with a zero tolerance for safety belt and child restraint violations,” says Lt. Col. Michael Crawford, KSP Director of Operations. “This campaign is not about writing tickets. It’s about enforcing traffic laws and bringing awareness to dangerous driving behaviors that cause fatalities and injuries.”
According to Crawford, each of KSP’s 16 posts and six Commercial Vehicle Enforcement regions will have a different enforcement plan during the campaign. “They will use real time crash data and mapping systems to identify and target specific areas that need attention and allocate their resources accordingly for more effective results,” he explains.
In other words, motorists are going to see a lot of KSP troopers and CVE officers on the roads for the rest of the year.
“There will be more visible enforcement in high crash areas, more roving patrols and an increase in safety checkpoints across the state,” says Crawford. “There will also be night-time seatbelt enforcement details and covert efforts using undercover vehicles.”
Each post and region will also use media and education channels to provide the public with safe driving messages and resources during the campaign.
“Every life counts,” says Crawford. “Holiday travel should always be taken seriously. We want to celebrate the season by making Kentucky’s roadways safer for everyone.”
Citizens can contribute to highway safety by confidentially reporting aggressive or erratic drivers to KSP toll-free at 1-800-222-5555 or by using the free KSP mobile phone app. The app provides quick, direct access to the state police for a wide range of benefits including weather, road and traffic information as well as voice and photo tip capabilities that can help prevent and solve crimes. Titled KSPOLICE, it is available for iPhone, iPad and Android applications and can be easily downloaded free of charge through Apple and Google Play stores.
