Harvest Season Requires Special Attention From Motorists

The wheat has turned in much of the state, and although we’ve had a lot of rain the past week, harvest will soon be underway. Living in a state where farming is a staple in our economy, all travelers need to be aware of increased farm implement and farm vehicle traffic on Kansas roads in the coming weeks.

Each year around this time, troopers and other officers are called to the scene of crashes involving farm implements and other vehicles. Oftentimes, it’s a matter of another vehicle not stopping in time before striking a farm implement. These crashes can be very bad, with severe injuries, and in some unfortunate instances—fatalities. One of the main things to remember in dealing with these crashes is that many are preventable. If drivers slow down, pay attention, and keep in mind the special requirements of farm vehicles, they can keep themselves, their passengers, and the farmers safe during this year’s harvest.

Last week, we issued a press release with some important safety tips for motorists sharing the road with farmers, and because of their importance and safety benefits, please take a few moments to review these tips.

• Don’t assume the farmer knows you’re there. Most operators of farm equipment regularly check for vehicles behind them, however most of their time must be spent looking ahead to keep the equipment safely on the road and to watch for oncoming traffic. Farm vehicles are also extremely loud, often hindering the farmer’s ability to hear your vehicle.

• Pass with extreme caution. Do not pass a farm implement unless you can see clearly ahead of both your vehicle and the farm equipment you are passing. If there are any curves or hills blocking your view of oncoming traffic, wait to pass until you can clearly visualize the area you’re passing in. Another important thing to remember is that you should not pass in a designated “No Passing Zone,” even if you are stuck behind a farm vehicle. Do not pass if you are within 100 feet of any intersection, railroad grade crossing, bridge, elevated structure, or tunnel.

• Allow extra room when following farm equipment. With slow moving vehicles, a passenger vehicle can close in on the empty space much more quickly than you close in on a regular vehicle. Just because a farm vehicle pulls to the right side of the road does not mean it is turning right or allowing you to pass. Due to the size of some farm equipment, the farmer must execute wide left turns, so when following a farm implement, allow it plenty of room and time to turn, and be alert to the surroundings to see if there might be a driveway or field they are turning into.

• Be patient. Don’t assume that a farmer can move aside to let you pass. Shoulders may be soft, wet, or steep, which can cause the farm vehicle to tip, or the shoulder may not support the weight of a heavy farm vehicle. The farmer understands you are being delayed and he or she will move over for you to pass at the first safe location available.

• Think of the slow moving vehicle emblem as a warning to adjust your speed. When you see the slow moving vehicle emblem, you should immediately slow down. While the emblems are visible from a long distance away, it is often difficult to judge the speed at which you are closing in on a vehicle, especially at night.

• Pay attention. Don’t allow yourself to be distracted by the radio, cell phones, other electronic devices, or anything else while you are driving. When you are not focused on the road, you increase your chances of a collision, especially if you should come upon a slow moving farm vehicle.

• Always wear seatbelts and use child safety seats. This is the best defense against injury and death should you be involved in a motor vehicle crash.

2010 Kansas Law Enforcement Torch Run Kicks Off Special Olympics Summer Games

The 2010 Kansas Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics is underway! The Special Olympics Torch, or the Flame of Hope, has passed through many Kansas communities on its way to the 40th Annual Special Olympics Kansas Summer Games in Wichita June 4-6. Special Olympics is an international, year-round program of sports training, education, and athletic competition for more than one million children and adults with intellectual disabilities.

The Law Enforcement Torch Run is a series of statewide runs that travel throughout the state during a week-long journey, culminating in Wichita for the annual Special Olympics Kansas Summer Games. This year’s Torch Run began in all four corners of the state and ran from May 22 - June 4. Torchbearers relay the "Flame of Hope" as they travel to the Summer Games. The Law Enforcement Torch Run began in Wichita in 1981 with six runners, and has grown to an international program that involves thousands of law enforcement personnel raising millions of dollars annually to benefit Special Olympics programs in the United States and abroad. A special thanks goes to everyone who came come out and cheered on their local law enforcement officers as they passed through the streets of their communities carrying the Flame of Hope.

Multiple Kansas agencies from all levels of law enforcement have put in countless hours of preparation for the annual Torch Run. Preliminary numbers from Special Olympics Kansas indicate that several hundred law enforcement participants will have carried the torch over 1,000 miles across Kansas. The Flame was carried by runners, walkers, bicyclists, and horseback riders. Kansas Law enforcement officers volunteer hundreds of hours each year, and in 2009, raised more than $353,000 in support of Special Olympics Kansas programs. This remarkable feat was accomplished by holding numerous fundraisers, including the statewide torch run, special events (i.e. Polar Plunge, truck convoy), sponsorships, and donations.

The fundraising goal for the 2010 Kansas Law Enforcement Torch Run is $385,000.00. That goal appears within reach. Nationally, officers raised $35 million in 2009, making the Law Enforcement Torch Run the Special Olympics’ largest grass-roots fundraiser and public relations vehicle.

Please join me in recognizing the fine efforts of the many men and women in Kansas law enforcement for their efforts in supporting, and touching the lives of over 5,580 Kansas Special Olympic athletes who train and compete year-round in 22 various sporting events. Through their efforts and the partnership with Special Olympics Kansas, these athletes are given the opportunity to improve physical fitness, acquire new skills, develop lifelong friendships, and encourage widespread community understanding and acceptance.

I would also like to wish the best of luck to all athletes competing in the Special Olympics Kansas Summer Games this weekend in Wichita! Their spirit, enthusiasm, and sportsmanship is something many can learn a lesson from.

For more information on Special Olympics Kansas, go to: http://www.ksso.org/.


Do you have questions or suggestions? If so, please send them via e-mail to: KSHighwayPatrol@khp.ks.gov.

Memorial Day Holiday Activity

The Memorial Day holiday weekend marks the beginning of the summer travel season for people across the nation. Last weekend, the Patrol and other law enforcement personnel from throughout the state worked to help ensure motorists reached their destinations safely. The Patrol’s preliminary figures from the holiday weekend activity are in, and for the Memorial Day 2010 holiday reporting period (6:00 p.m. Fri., May 28 until 11:59 p.m. Mon., May 31), the Patrol worked no fatality crashes on Kansas roads.

Over the holiday, troopers reported the following:
• Total Fatal Crashes 0
• Total Fatalities 0
• DUI-Related Crashes 4
• DUI-Related Fatalities 0
• DUI Arrests 43
• Speed Citations 1,336
• Speed Warnings 1,387
• Adult Seatbelt Citations 154
• Adult Seatbelt Warnings 104
• Teen Seatbelt Citations 7
• Teen Seatbelt Warnings 0
• Child Restraint Citations 57
• Child Restraint Warnings 8
• Motorists Assisted 1,280
This is KHP data only, not results for all law enforcement in the state.

Also during the holiday weekend, members of the Patrol participated in the Special Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP), sponsored by KDOT. The Memorial Day STEP campaign is the Click It or Ticket mobilization, with the principal focus being adult and teen seatbelt use, and child restraint. STEP campaigns are conducted during high-volume travel holidays in an effort to help reduce the number of impaired drivers on the roads, encourage safety restraint use, and promote safe driving habits.

KHP Wishes For Safe Memorial Day Weekend Travels

Memorial Day weekend has arrived, marking the beginning of the summer travel season for many people nationwide. Together with our traffic safety partners, the Kansas Highway Patrol is hoping for safe travels for everyone this busy holiday weekend. There are some key things to remember before you get in your cars and hit the roads, though.

Widely celebrated, with people traveling to lakes, barbecues, and other destinations and events, holiday weekends lend themselves to the consumption of alcoholic beverages. Before you start your festivities, it’s vital you ensure you have a safe way to get home at the end of your celebration. Either identify a designated driver, who will stay sober, or do not drink. Impaired driving is risky for everyone on the roads—drivers, passengers, and innocent motorists in other vehicles. During the 78-hour reporting period for the Memorial Day weekend in 2008, there were four fatal crashes that killed four people in Kansas. Of those fatal crashes, half of them were alcohol-related (two crashes that killed two people). In all, there were 43 alcohol-related crashes, in which 41 people were injured. Do your part to help keep others safe, and NEVER drink and drive.

Law enforcement agencies nationwide are in the midst of the Click It or Ticket campaign. Annually, we participate in this campaign because of the life-saving benefits provided when seatbelts are worn. They are your best defense should you be involved in a collision. Equally important is ensuring children are buckled up or secured in the proper child safety seats. Safe Kids Kansas provides information on child safety seats on their website: www.safekidskansas.com/child_passenger.html#childPassengerLaws. Regardless of age, the driver and front seat passenger in a vehicle must be buckled up. Any person under the age of 18 is also required by Kansas law to use their seatbelt.

Lastly, before you hit the road for a trip, you should make sure you are prepared and your vehicle is in proper working order. Has your vehicle be serviced recently? There are some things a driver can easily check to help ensure a safer trip: engine air filter, windshield washer fluid, tire pressure, tire tread, battery, and windshield wiper blades. Identify repair shops that are near where you are traveling, that way, if you have a problem, you know where to go. Additionally, you should check your route of travel ahead of time for current road work and other problems you may encounter. To check roadwork in Kansas and other states, go to: www.kandrive.org. Should you need assistance while on a Kansas highway, the Kansas Highway Patrol can be reached at *47 (*HP), and the Kansas Turnpike Authority can be reached at *582 (*KTA). For information on road conditions, dial 511.

To all Kansas residents and travelers, have a safe and enjoyable weekend!

Motorcycle Safety Important All Year For All Motorists

May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month. This month is dedicated to promoting motorcycle safety, reducing injuries and fatalities involving motorcycles, stressing the importance of defensive driving and sharing the road with motorcycles.

In the past few years, Kansas has experienced an increase in motorcycle registrations. With additional motorcycles on the roads, passenger vehicle drivers and motorcycle operators must share the responsibility of driving defensively and with the level of awareness necessary to ensure the safety of all motorists.

In 2008, motorcycles were involved in nearly 9% of all fatal accidents in Kansas. While the total number of crashes and fatalities in the state is decreasing, the number of motorcycle crashes is increasing. In 1998, there were 19 fatalities, and 546 injuries involving motorcycle operators/riders. In 2008, there were 45 fatalities, and 1,086 injuries involving motorcycle operators/riders.

Motorcyclists can increase their safety by wearing the proper protective gear, including helmets. They should also abide by Kansas traffic laws. Passing on the shoulders, driving in between cars, and speeding have all been the cause of some very serious and fatal traffic crashes involving motorcycles.

Likewise, drivers of passenger vehicles have an obligation to ensure the safety of motorcyclists when sharing the roads with them. Because motorcycles are lower-profile vehicles, it is sometimes hard to see them. Blind spots should always be checked for motorcycles, because they are hard to see, especially in a vehicle’s blind spot. Remember, motorcycles have the same rights and privileges as other vehicles on the roads.

Kansas travelers should unite, not just this month, but throughout the year to increase the safety of all travelers, regardless of their mode of transportation.

Do you have questions or suggestions? If so, please send them via e-mail to: KSHighwayPatrol@khp.ks.gov.

Move Over/Slow Down Important for Everyone’s Safety

Wednesday, May 12, two Topeka-area law enforcement officers were fortunate to have survived after they were struck while standing outside their vehicles. A Kansas Highway Patrol trooper and Topeka Police Department officer were parked on the right shoulder of I-70 eastbound, near the MacVicar exit, assisting in the search for two subjects who had earlier fled from authorities on foot. As traffic came through the area, a van drove onto the shoulder, struck the rear of the Topeka PD car and KHP car, spun around, and hit the two officers, knocking them down the embankment. The van then rolled down the embankment, taking the KHP car with it.

Thankfully, everyone involved survived the crash. Our trooper was released from the hospital Wednesday night, and the Topeka PD officer remains hospitalized. The two occupants of the van were also transported to the hospital. The driver has been released, and as of yesterday, the passenger remains hospitalized. Given the circumstances of the crash, and the area it was in, all involved are lucky to have survived.

These two officers became victims of what many law enforcement officers consider the most dangerous aspect of the job—conducting business roadside, while outside of the patrol vehicle, and being struck by a passing motorist. More law enforcement officers across the nation are killed in traffic crashes, than by gunfire. So far this year, 27 officers have been killed in traffic crashes, according to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. Last year, 116 officers were lost in the line of duty. Of those, 51 were killed in traffic-related incidents.

This week, May 9-15 is National Police Week, designated to honor the lives of officers killed in the line of duty. This is an important time to remind travelers to slow down and move over for stopped emergency vehicles. These officers put their lives on the line everyday for public safety. We must all do our part to ensure their safety, so at the end of their shifts they are able to return safely to their families.

On May 16, 2000, Governor Bill Graves signed into law House Bill 2641, which laid the foundation to help protect law enforcement and emergency workers. Also known as “Goodheart’s Law,” after fallen KHP Master Trooper Dean Goodheart, who was struck and killed while conducting a truck inspection in 1995, HB 2641 requires motorists to slow down and/or move over near stopped emergency vehicles. In 2006, KDOT road crews, and the Patrol’s Motorist Assist personnel were added to the legislation. The law now also requires traffic to slow down and/or move over away from vehicles engaged in highway construction or maintenance operations when the vehicles are displaying amber flashing lights.

If you see an emergency or maintenance vehicle stopped on the shoulder, pay attention to your driving and maintain your focus on the road. Don’t allow yourself to be distracted by what the officer or maintenance workers are doing. If you are distracted, you could easily drive out of your lane, striking another vehicle, object, or person.

It’s important that motorists follow this law by moving over and slowing down for personnel on the roadside. It is vital, not only for the safety of our officers, and road crews, but also for the safety of the motoring public. I would like to thank all of the law enforcement officers, first responders, KDOT personnel, and others who assisted with the crash. I would also like to offer a thank you to those members of the public who have expressed concern for those involved. I am grateful that no one was killed in Wednesday’s crash, and hopeful for a speedy recovery for each person involved!

Law Enforcement Memorial Services Honor Those Officers Lost In the Line of Duty

Next week, May 9-15, thousands of people will gather in Washington D.C. in honor of National Police Week and National Peace Officers Memorial Day (May 15). These people will honor and remember the lives of their family members, friends, and co-workers who have one thing in common—all have died in the line of duty. All of these officers are remembered for the valiant lives they led, serving the public, showing bravery in the most horrific circumstances, and being a role model to those in their communities. With each life lost, a husband/wife, son/daughter, father/mother, will never return home to see their families.

Today, May 7, 2010 on the State Capitol grounds, we honored the Kansas law enforcement officers lost in the line of duty. It is a solemn reminder of the dangers that those in this profession face. But, it is also a celebration to honor the lives of those lost. These officers who have been killed were the best of the best, and they died valiantly serving the public, doing what they loved.

Fallen Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Deputy Brian S. Etheridge will be added to the memorial this year. Deputy Etheridge died last September after being ambushed while responding to a larceny call, later determined to be a ploy to have an officer respond. Deputy Etheridge left behind a wife, Sarah, and young daughter, Natalie, who will forever miss him. His loss will forever be felt by his department and those who serve in law enforcement.

Like the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Department, the Kansas Highway Patrol has experienced the grief felt when an officer is lost in the line of duty. In the history of the Patrol, we have lost 10 brave brothers in the line of duty. Some were killed by gunfire, and some died in traffic crashes. When an officer is lost in the line of duty, regardless of the cause, it creates a void that can never be filled. Each of these officers’ radio numbers have been retired, and we think of them often. Below is the list of our fallen officers. For more information on their service, please see our ‘In Memory’ page at: http://www.kansashighwaypatrol.org/memory/memorial.html.

Remembering our fallen officers…
• Trooper Maurice Plummer-EOW December 16, 1944
• Trooper Jimmie Jacobs-EOW October 6, 1959
• Trooper John McMurray-EOW December 9, 1964
• Lieutenant Bernard Hill-EOW May 28, 1967
• Sergeant Eldon Miller-EOW January 19, 1968
• Trooper James Thornton-EOW October 2, 1973
• Trooper Conroy O’Brien-EOW May 24, 1978
• Trooper Ferdinand “Bud” Pribbenow-EOW July 11, 1981
• Master Trooper Larry Huff-EOW November 26, 1993
• Master Trooper Dean Goodheart-EOW September 6, 1995

Please join the greater law enforcement community next week as National Police Week is recognized, and remember the sacrifices made by all of the fallen officers in the nation, so that our communities can be safe. For more information on National Police Week, go to: www.nleomf.org/programs/policeweek/ . You can also check with your local law enforcement agency to see if your community holds a Law Enforcement Memorial Service.