KDOT and state law enforcement agencies complete 1st year of traffic safety program

The Kansas Department of Transportation and the Drive To Zero Coalition completed the first year of the five-year Safety Corridor Pilot Program.

“We know driver behavior improves when motorists expect and see law enforcement,” said Transportation Safety Bureau Chief Vanessa Spartan. “Law enforcement officers are dedicated to helping save lives on our highways, and their efforts on the safety corridors are making an impact.”

The program aims to decrease fatalities and serious injuries on four highway corridors by implementing proven safety countermeasures, such as increasing the presence of state and local law enforcement. The safety corridors are on stretches of I-135, U.S. 83/50, U.S. 69 and U.S. 24, with each spanning 10 to 35 miles of Kansas highway. The safety corridors are clearly marked with yellow “Safety Corridor/Increased Enforcement” signage.

“The Kansas Highway Patrol and law enforcement statewide prioritize the safety of all motorists traveling throughout the state,” said Colonel Erik Smith, Superintendent of the Kansas Highway Patrol. “An increased presence on and near the four designated safety corridors deters dangerous driving behaviors that cause an increased risk for crashes. Ensuring that every motorist makes it to their destination safely will continue to be a focus of law enforcement partners across Kansas.”

Between October 2023 and June 2024, state and local law enforcement worked nearly 1,300 hours in the safety corridors. Nearly 2,600 contacts were made with the traveling public and ranged from warnings to citations. The most common citation was speeding more than 10 mph over the posted speed limit.