The Wichita Police Department is launching a major traffic safety enforcement initiative in response to the increased risks on the roads this holiday because more people are expected to drive for the holiday instead of flying. Officers will be looking for drunk drivers and drivers who fail to buckle up themselves and their children. Kansas Clicks starts Nov. 19 and continues through the Thanksgiving holiday weekend concluding on Nov 25.
During Kansas Clicks, officers will intensify enforcement of adult seat belt laws, child passenger safety laws and drunk driving laws by focusing on targeted areas within the city of Wichita. Drivers found driving above the legal blood alcohol limit of .08 will be arrested, and drivers failing to buckle up or restrain their child passengers will be ticketed.
A few of the target areas in Wichita include East Kellogg, North Rock Road, South Edgemoor, South Seneca and the intersection of 47th Street South and Broadway.
"Our nation is doing everything it can to protect families from the unpredictable threat of terrorism," said Deputy Chief Stephen Cole, Field Services Division. "But we must continue to address the most predictable and leading risk our families face every day – traffic crashes."
Officers participate in Kansas Clicks because it works. Research shows Kansas Clicks raises adult seat belt use and child restraint use.
According to the National Safety Council, the Thanksgiving holiday is one of the most dangerous holidays for motorists. Last year alone, more than 400 people were killed during the Thanksgiving week.
Last year, 31,910 people died in traffic crashes, and more than half of those people were unbuckled. Even worse, traffic crashes are the leading cause of death to children, killing nearly 2,000 kids each year. More than half of the children who die in crashes are completely unrestrained. And tragically, nearly half of those kids would be alive today if the adult driver had made sure they were restrained.