NORTH?MANCHESTER – Over 24 days, North Manchester Police Department issued eight citations, 65 written warnings and made two arrests during St. Patrick’s Day, college spring break and the first rounds of the NCAA Tournament, according to a news release.
In 2017, the weekend beginning St. Patrick’s Day had the highest number of crashes involving impaired drivers. Federal traffic safety funds administered by the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute supported random patrols, saturation patrols and sobriety checkpoints for more than 230 law enforcement agencies across the state.
In every state, it is illegal to drive with a blood alcohol concentration of .08 or higher, the release states. In Indiana, drivers under 21 with a BAC of .02 are subject to fines and a license suspension for up to one year.
The top causes of all Indiana traffic crashes are drivers following too closely and failing to yield the right of way, according to the release. Aggressive, distracted and impaired drivers reduce reaction times to unexpected slowed traffic, bicycles and pedestrians.
Experience different perspectives on an impaired driving crash scene in 360 degrees at https://on.in.gov/nobigdeal.
Last year, ICJI and the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration purchased 1,759 new portable breath tests for Indiana law enforcement agencies. An additional 836 devices are being purchased this year.
But unlike alcohol, there is no quick field test for the legal and illegal drugs that can impair drivers, the release states. ICJI and NHTSA are issuing Android tablets and apps to assist 185 highly trained police officers in the recognition and enforcement of drug-impaired driving.
KRA Announces 2018 Schedule
Kosciusko Runners’ Association has its year fairly well filled.
It reduced its schedule by about 65 percent from the previous year. About 1-1/2 years ago, Bill Crane, KRA, said the organization was reducing its number of events, not closing completely.
“Although our schedule is highly reduced, it needs to be noted that we are still in business. We are timing many events right here in Warsaw and Winona Lake,” Crane said.
KRA’s new schedule has many new perks, according to a news release.
It will have “live finishing” for all of its events, Crane said. This means that as soon as a finisher crosses the finish line, their results will be up live online with Run Sign Up. If they are preregistered, they can scan the QR code on their bibs and it will take them to their own statistics online. They also can download their place, a free certificate of their time to a tenth of a second and other information.
Of the 20 events to be timed by KRA this year, three-fourths are in Kosciusko County. Every couple of months, KRA will post display ads in the Times-Union to keep the public informed. One also can always check out www.runkra.org/upcoming-events.html.
KRA thanks all of those who have commented on Facebook and emailed KRA for their interest in the events scheduled for 2018.
