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Law agencies team for safety |
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Wednesday, 13 May 2009 |
The Benton and Bryant police departments and the Saline County Sheriff’s Office are working together through the rest of May to help keep the county roads safe.
The effort is called the Joint Traffic Safety Initiative and includes the Click It or Ticket campaign; Child Passenger Safety Seat checks; and DWI sobriety checkpoints.
Sgt. Kevin Russell, public information officer for the Benton Police Department said the agencies will also provide extra patrol in traffic problem areas.
“This initiative will be an even more intensive focus on traffic safety in our communities than what is already done,” Russell of the . “We will also look out for speeders, aggressive driving and vehicles with loud music.”
Russell said drivers need to be aware that there will likely be an influx of younger drivers on the roadways this summer. He also said he encourages both teenagers and adults to wear their seat belts. Teenagers might even receive special praise for wearing the life saving device.
“Although wearing a seat belt in Arkansas is still a secondary offense, until June 30, this enforcement will serve as a reminder of the importance of wearing one and that it will soon be a primary law,” Russell said. “Instead of just issuing citations for not wearing a seat belt, officers will also be rewarding teen drivers found to be wearing their seat belt.”
Rewards could include music download cards from the Benton Fraternal Order of Police and free drink coupons donated by Sonic Drive-In of Benton.
Russell also said Union Pacific Railroad will be in Benton this month for the Operation Lifesaver event. Operation Lifesaver is a non-profit, international continuing public education program first established in 1972 to end collisions, deaths and injuries at places where roadways cross train tracks, and on railroad rights of way. The program seeks to educate both drivers and pedestrians to make safe decisions at crossings and around railroad tracks. This will also be a chance for officers and the media to ride on the train and better understand the dangers train engineers encounter everyday on the tracks, Russell said.
“This traffic safety initiative is about saving lives by reducing traffic crashes and encouraging safe practices to reduce injuries when they do occur,” Russell said.
“In addition to saving lives, numerous criminals are also apprehended during traffic stops for various reasons. One prime example of a simple traffic stop that lead to something far bigger, was the Oklahoma Bombing suspect Timothy McVeigh who was captured off of a traffic stop. We also encourage anyone who witnesses any type of traffic violation, whether it’s reckless driving or a child not in a car seat, to please call police.”
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