University police department's proactive DUI enforcement results in 15 arrests
Thursday, Feb. 6, 2014
MANHATTAN -- The amount of pedestrians and bicycles on and around the Kansas State University campus make enforcement of traffic safety laws a priority.
That's why the campus police department has been on the lookout for drunk drivers. So far in 2014, the department has arrested 15 drunk drivers on and around campus.
"Safety of our community is a priority, and it is commonly known that drunk driving takes so many lives unnecessarily," said Ronnie Grice, the university's assistant vice president for public safety.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a person is killed by a drunk driver every 51 minutes, and in 2012 more than 10,000 lives were lost as a result of drunk driving.
"That's why I am extremely proud of the proactive approach our officers have to stopping impaired drivers," Grice said.
The Manhattan community has many options for those who choose not to drink and drive. The university's Safe Ride is a service that provides a scheduled route Thursdays through Saturdays at no cost. Other services, such as taking a taxi, are also available for a fee.
According to Don Stubbings, captain of the university police department, the cost of paying for a ride is worth it compared to the financial costs of being arrested for drunk driving or a more serious charge related to injuring or killing someone because a driver got behind the wheel while drunk.
For more information about impaired driving please visit http://www.madd.org/drunk-driving/about/drunk-driving-statistics.html or to visit the university's Safe Ride page http://www.k-state.edu/osas/saferide/.
