MEDIA ADVISORY: August 27, 2009
FROM: The Kansas Highway Patrol
CONTACT: Technical Trooper Tim McCool (785) 296-3102
Captain Steven Zeller (785) 296-3102
KHP Announces Checkpoint in Topeka
The Kansas Highway Patrol will be conducting a sobriety check lane this weekend in Topeka. The check lane will begin at 11:00 p.m. Friday, August 28, and will be conducted until 1:00 a.m. on Saturday, August 29. The checkpoint will be set up in the 300 block of Gage Boulevard, in the northbound lanes. Kansas Highway Patrol troopers will be looking for drivers who show signs of impairment.
The sobriety check lane is part of the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT)-funded Special Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP). The current STEP campaign, underway since August 21 is 'Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest.' The campaign is a zero-tolerance campaign to discourage and help prevent impaired driving. This STEP campaign will be conducted through Labor Day, September 7.
In the state of Kansas last year, there were 3,366 crashes involving alcohol-impaired drivers. There were 131 people killed, and 1,999 injured in alcohol-related crashes in 2008. In the last 10 years, 1,191 lives have been lost in Kansas as a result of alcohol-related crashes.
Some tips to help keep you safe and free from jail time:
- If you plan to drive, do not drink.
- If you plan to drink, designate a non-drinking driver and give that person your keys.
- Never ride with a driver who has been drinking.
- Take a list of phone numbers with you for cabs or friends to call for a sober ride home.
- If possible, plan to spend the night at the event.
- If you are throwing a party, provide non-alcoholic alternatives, and never let guests drive drunk.
- Report impaired drivers to your local law enforcement agency.
- Always buckle up and properly secure children in their safety seats.