Extra patrols sanctioned to combat inattentive drivers
Jasper — A slew of accidents involving drivers missing or disregarding stop signs or traffic lights has prompted the Jasper Police Department to beef up patrols to catch offenders.
Chief Michael Bennett told the Jasper Board of Public Works and Safety today that the department would be more aggressive in enforcing traffic signal infractions. He added that patrols near bus loading and unloading areas would see more scrutiny by police as well when school starts this week in Jasper.
“We’ve noticed a lot of crashes in the city culminating with the fatality that we had down on 162 and Meridian in which disregarding stop signs and automatic signals have been the primary cause,” Bennett said. “We are going to start a dedicated patrol to see if we can change people’s attitudes and outlooks.”
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The action comes after at least three accidents last week were caused by drivers disregarding a stop sign or automatic signal. A French Lick woman was killed in one such accident when the Ford Escape she was a passenger in ran a stop sign at the Meridian Road and State Road 162 intersection Thursday.
After running the stop sign, the vehicle was struck by a passing SUV and forced into another vehicle stopped waiting to turn onto Meridian. No one in the Ford was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the accident.
According to Assistant Chief Nathan Schmitt, the department will use about $1,500 from the Indiana Criminal Justice fund to pay for overtime for officers to beef up the patrols dedicated to catch impaired drivers and enforce stop sign and automatic signal violations as well as seatbelt violations.
“Driving has almost become secondary to everything else in their [drivers] lives,” Bennett said. “Texting, reading texts, a whole myriad of things. Driving is secondary to everything else. Hopefully, we can get some of that changed.”
If they’re not much of a warning maybe they’re being ignored or not understood. Trust the signs…there’s no reason for anything to “sneak up on you” if you know what it means and aren’t driving too fast and/or distracted. The STOP AHEAD signs are there as a heads-up to warn drivers to slow down NOW and prepare to STOP AHEAD at the STOP sign – not to be disregarded and then surprised because it suddenly appeared. I’m glad for the extra intersection enforcement, but I honestly worry more about all those crashes from drivers drifting across center lines for seemingly no reason (that we seldom hear about).
Ima Ruth Green you apearantly didn’t understand what Tracy Freeman Flamion was saying it’s not much of a warning when you read the warning sign then apply the brakes for the stop sign about the same time as you read the warning sign. And as for the drifting across the center line for no reason well there is a reason its called TEXTING and DRIVING.