The Cherokee County Sheriff's Office will be joining many other law enforcement agencies throughout Kansas, including the Kansas Highway Patrol, in the Kansas Thanksgiving Safe Arrival Traffic Enforcement Campaign.  The campaign will include an influx of law enforcement officers on Kansas highways and secondary roads in an effort specifically aimed at locating and removing impaired drivers from our roadways.  In addition, law enforcement will also be ticketing vehicle occupants who have chosen to fail to properly use their seatbelts.   A grant from the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) will underwrite overtime incurred during the enforcement campaign. 

According to KDOT, which tracks all crashes in the state, the day before Thanksgiving sees more impairment-related crashes than any other day of the year.  Those driving under the influence of alcohol or other drugs endanger not only themselves, but also others they share the road with - such as their passengers, other motorists and their passengers, bicyclists and pedestrians.  On average, across Kansas, three persons are injured every day, and one person is killed every four days in alcohol/drug-related crashes.  And the crashes tend to be more severe.  Vehicle occupants in alcohol- or other drug-related crashes are over 2 ½ times more likely to be injured or killed than those involved in crashes where alcohol or other drugs were not a factor.   

"We know the Thanksgiving Holiday period involves an increase in traffic along with an increase in social functions, where many times alcohol is consumed," stated Cherokee County Sheriff David Groves. 

"Law enforcement is committed to making sure families are able to travel our roadways safely, which is why there is a focused effort to identify and arrest those who make the decision to drive while impaired," concluded Sheriff Groves.