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Tag: seatbeltsareforeveryone

Click It or Ticket May 19 – June 2, 2024

Every day we make hundreds of choices. The easiest one should be wearing your seat belt. While it is a fact that seat belts save lives, many still make the choice to not buckle up. In the Click It or Ticket campaign, while all Kansas traffic laws will be enforced, the primary focus will be on the adult seat belt and child safety laws.

During Click It or Ticket, drivers will be met with extra enforcement by our agency.  We will be on the lookout for the unrestrained drivers, passengers, and children traveling our roads. Your seat belt could be what saves you and those riding with you. Insist that everyone in the vehicle is retrained on every trip.

We also want people to know that in the interest of saving lives, The Galena Police Department is committed to ticketing and educating the violators of adult seat belt and child safety laws, as well as other traffic infractions because we want you to be as safe as possible on your travels.

Thanksgiving Safe Arrival

This Thanksgiving Holiday, make sure to buckle up, Kansans. If you don’t make occupant protection a habit now start a new tradition!

Beginning Saturday, November 18th through Sunday, Nov 26th, 2023 The Galena Police Department will join many other law enforcement agencies across the state, including the Kansas Highway Patrol, in the Kansas *THANKGIVING SAFE ARRIVAL traffic enforcement campaign. Although all Kansas Traffic Laws will be enforced, this extra provision will be actively enforcing our occupant protection laws.

The Galena Police Department will also provide education that serves as a reminder that BUCKLING UP SAVES LIVES.

Don’t be a turkey, buckle up, every trip, every time. Your friends and family are counting on you.

Crashes Can Happen Anywhere

Motorists may be surprised to learn that over half of the fatality and serious injury crashes occur on local roads with half of those crashes involving only a single vehicle. Rural roads have the most fatal crashes in Kansas despite accounting for only 40% of total state miles traveled. The Kansas Drive to Zero Coalition, supported by the Kansas Department of Transportation, and law enforcement agencies want to bring awareness to drivers who may think traveling on local roads comes with less risk.

According to Chief Charles, “Safe driving behaviors are the number one-way motorists can protect themselves and their occupants traveling anywhere.”

Driving too fast for conditions, distracted driving, impaired driving, and failure to properly use seatbelts and child restraint protection severely increase the severity of a crash. “What drivers need to know is nearly 86 percent of local road crashes take place in good weather conditions, and a majority of these are on straight and level roads so remember drive defensively, buckle up and phone down- every trip, every time.” Said Chief Charles.

For more information on local roads and other safe driving programs visit https://kansasdrivetozero.com.

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You Drink. You Drive. You Lose- is Just Ahead

Drivers are advised that during the period of August 19 through Labor Day, September 4, The Galena Police Department will join other police agencies across Kansas in a crackdown aimed at removing impaired drivers from the roadways during You Drink. You Drive. You Lose.

It is illegal to drive while impaired, yet one person is killed in a drunk driving crash every 52 minutes in the United States. Just one drink before driving can put you and others in danger, because alcohol impairs thinking, reasoning and muscle coordination.

Driving after consuming alcohol or any other potentially impairing substance is a choice you make. The You Drink. You Drive. You Lose enforcement campaign is intended to remind drivers to take a moment to consider how it would be to begin every day with the memory of your decision if it resulted in injury or death. If you are driving impaired, you are not only more likely to crash, but that crash is much more likely to cause serious injury or death. Think about your family, your friends, your coworkers, neighbors. Always wear your seat belt it’s your best defense against impaired drivers. Every trip, every time.

You can count on this agency to vigorously enforce impaired driving and other traffic laws, not just during this enforcement campaign but all through the year in order to save lives.

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You Drink. You Drive. You Lose- is Just Ahead

Drivers are advised that during the period of August 20 through Labor Day, September 7, The Galena Police Department will join other police agencies across Kansas in a crackdown aimed at removing impaired drivers from the roadways during You Drink. You Drive. You Lose.

It is illegal to drive while impaired, yet one person is killed in a drunk driving crash every 52 minutes in the United States. Just one drink before driving can put you and others in danger, because alcohol impairs thinking, reasoning and muscle coordination.

Driving after consuming alcohol or any other potentially impairing substance is a choice you make. According to Chief Charles, The You Drink. You Drive. You Lose enforcement campaign is intended to remind drivers to take a moment to consider how it would be to begin every day with the memory of your decision if it resulted in injury or death. If you are driving impaired, you are not only more likely to crash, but that crash is much more likely to cause serious injury or death. Think about your family, your friends, your coworkers, and neighbors.  Also always wear your seat belt, it’s your best defense against impaired drivers. Every trip, every time.

You can count on this agency to vigorously enforce impaired driving and other traffic laws, not just during this enforcement campaign but all through the year in order to save lives.

Galena Police Department to conduct Enforcement Campaign near High Schools

Beginning February 22 through March 5, The Galena Police Department will join other law enforcement agencies in Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma with increased enforcement near high schools to raise awareness on roadway safety. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teens (15-18 years old) in the United States – ahead of all other types of injury, disease or violence.


“Even one teen death is unacceptable, please slow down, put the phone away or turn it off, and always buckle up.”


Officers will issue citations to any individual who refuses to obey the traffic laws, whether it is for speeding, texting or failing to buckle up. Remind teens that driving is a privilege and encourage them to learn about the importance of driving safely.

Thanksgiving Safe Arrival

Beginning Friday, November 20, through Sunday, Nov 29, 2020 the Galena Police Department will join many other law enforcement agencies across the state, including the Kansas Highway Patrol, in the Kansas Thanksgiving Safe Arrivaltraffic enforcement campaign.  A grant from the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) will support overtime enforcement efforts.  While all Kansas Traffic Laws will be enforced, this extra provision will be aggressively targeting and removing impaired drivers from our roads.

According to KDOT, the day before Thanksgiving sees more impairment-related crashes than any other day of the year.  Those who choose to drive under the influence of alcohol or other drugs, are a danger to all they share the road with–their passengers, other motorists and their passengers, bicyclists, and pedestrians.  Impaired driving crashes tend to be more severe.  On average, across Kansas, three persons are injured every day, and one person is killed every four days in alcohol/drug-related crashes.  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.   

Each week across Kansas, over 250 drivers are arrested for choosing to drive impaired

(Driving Under the Influence).  A DUI conviction will result in jail time, the suspension or revocation of driver’s license, a fine of $500 to $2,500, participation in an alcohol or other drug treatment program and, where alcohol is cited as a contributing factor, the purchase and installation of an ignition interlock device by the offender.  This device prevents the vehicle from starting if alcohol is present in the driver’s breath.  All of this is in addition to thousands of dollars more for bail, court costs, and attorney fees.  

 “Keep in mind that if you are going to be drinking;  Arrange to ride with a non-drinking acquaintance BEFORE you go out.”

Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs or both is a choice YOU make.  Make the right choice. On the drive to zero, YOU are in the driver’s seat. 

Increased Enforcement Around the Galena High School – February 24 thru March 6

The Galena Police Department will join other law enforcement agencies in Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma with increased enforcement near high schools to raise awareness on roadway safety. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teens (15-18 years old) in the United States – ahead of all other types of injury, disease or violence.

“Even one teen death is unacceptable,”. “Please slow down, put the phone away or turn it off, and always buckle up.”

Officers will issue citations to any individual who refuses to obey the traffic laws, whether it is for speeding, texting or failing to buckle up. Remind teens that driving is a privilege and encourage them to learn about the importance of driving safely.

Thanksgiving Safe Arrival

Beginning Monday, November 25, through Sunday, Dec 1, 2019 the Galena Police Department will join many other Law Enforcement Agencies across the state, including the Kansas Highway Patrol, in the Kansas Thanksgiving Safe Arrivaltraffic enforcement campaign.  A grant from the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) will underwrite overtime enforcement efforts that specifically aim at removing impaired drivers from our roads and ticketing vehicle occupants who are unrestrained or whose child passengers are unrestrained. 

            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.  

Each week across Kansas, over 250 drivers are arrested for DUI (Driving Under the Influence).  A DUI conviction will result in jail time, the suspension or revocation of driver’s license, a fine of $500 to $2,500, participation in an alcohol or other drug treatment program and, where alcohol is cited as a contributing factor, the purchase and installation of an ignition interlock device by the offender.  This device requires the offender to blow into a device that measures blood alcohol concentration prior to starting the car.  It’s embarrassing and a hassle.

            Also responsible for needless death and maiming is the failure by many teens and adults to simply buckle up themselves, or to properly buckle up child passengers.  Twice as many Kansans who die from a crash are unrestrained as are restrained.  Even worse is the fact that injuries suffered by those who are unbuckled are likely to be much more severe and disabling than injuries suffered by those who are buckled in.  This applies regardless of speed, and whether the occurrence is on a city street, a county road, or a highway. 

 “Keep in mind that if you are going to be drinking – don’t even consider driving home.  Arrange to ride with a non-drinking acquaintance.  Don’t let pride or concerns for your convenience endanger your life and the lives of innocent others.  Drivers always wear your seatbelt and don’t move the vehicle until each person riding with you is buckled in.  This is your best defense against death and injury, it is their best defense, and it is the law.   You will live with the consequences – good or bad – the rest of your life.  By always following these simple rules, you can preserve life – maybe your life – and certainly your cash.  You can safely arrive.” 

Seat-Belt Enforcement Oct 28th – Nov 1st

On Monday, October 28th, The Galena Police Department along with other law enforcement agencies across Kansas will step up patrols around area schools. Officers will pay close attention to vehicles arriving and departing the area to ensure occupants are using their seat belts. This extra enforcement will run through November 1st.

According to the 2017 Kansas observational seatbelt survey, children are much more likely to be buckled up if the driver is wearing their seatbelts. If the driver is buckled, about 98% of the children are restrained. If the driver is not buckled, only about 29% of the observed children were buckled.  Parents need to be aware that wearing a seatbelt properly is the best prevention of serious injury or death in a vehicle. There should be no surprise when it comes to this enforcement.

For the latest data and to see more about Kansas safety belt laws, go to www.ktsor.org