JACKSON COUNTY/JENNINGS COUNTY, Ind. – While people are planning their Thanksgiving travels, the Jennings County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO), Jackson Cunty Sheriff’s Office, and the Seymour and North Vernon Police Departments are getting ready to increase patrol visibility as part of the annual Safe Family Travel campaign.
Although geared toward the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, the campaign starts this Saturday, November 16, and focuses on impaired driving, aggressive driving, and proper use of seat belts. Officers will work overtime conducting sobriety checkpoints and saturation patrols to discourage impaired driving and promote seat belt use.
The high-visibility enforcement campaign is funded with grants from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) through the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute (ICJI).
According to NHTSA, alcohol-impaired driving has tragically become associated with Thanksgiving Eve, with some people turning it into a night of drinking. Drivers who intend on drinking that evening should make sure they have a designated sober driver.
“When you get on the road, you are pledging to use safe driving practices to keep all road users safe,” said JCSO Chief Deputy Cody Low. “Anyone heading out to a bar or party must commit to stay sober for the night if they are driving, or arrange for a sober ride home before they begin to drink alcohol.”
Motorists are encouraged to call 911 if they encounter an impaired or unsafe driver on the road.
