MEDIA ADVISORY: August 26, 2009
FROM: The Kansas Highway Patrol
CONTACT: Captain Daniel D. Meyer (785) 296-7189
Trucks Patrolling Northeast Kansas
TOPS program looking for violations
For the third consecutive year, the Kansas Highway Patrol's Trucks on Patrol for Safety (TOPS) program is helping to educate motorists on the dangers and added safety precautions that must be taken when sharing the road with large trucks and commercial motor vehicles. Following a week-long deployment in the Topeka and surrounding northeast Kansas area, there will be a news conference in Topeka on Friday, August 28, 2009, at 11 a.m. The conference will be held at the Patrol's Topeka office, 220 Gage Boulevard.
The Patrol is partnering with commercial vehicle companies and drivers to enforce safety violations occurring around large trucks. Troopers will board the large trucks and relay information regarding observed violations to other troopers in KHP patrol units who will then enforce these crash-causing violations observed from the large trucks. The Patrol's Air Support Unit is also being utilized during the deployments to assist in detecting violations. Pilots and observers on board the aircraft will relay information on violations to ground units for appropriate enforcement action.
At the media conference, the truck will be on display, in addition to other photo opportunities with Kansas Highway Patrol troopers. Interviews to discuss the success of the program will also be available. Statistics collected from enforcement action for the length of the program will be released at that time, as well.
The Kansas Highway Patrol has set a goal to reduce the number of fatality, injury, and property damage crashes in the state. The TOPS program, grant-funded by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, was implemented with this goal in mind.