Gov. Beshear Presents Murray Police Department with Highway Safety Award

Press Release

Governor Steve Beshear today presented $22,075 to the Murray Police Department for programs to curb impaired driving, speeding and other dangerous driving practices. The grant will also help to educate the public on the necessity of child safety seats and seatbelt usage.

"We are firmly committed to improving the safety in Kentucky communities by providing law enforcement with these necessary resources," said Gov. Beshear. "We must attack the problem before we risk losing more lives on Kentucky's highways," he said.

Law enforcement funding can be used for overtime enforcement and equipment. The federally funded grants from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) are administered by the Kentucky Office of Highway Safety, which is part of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet.

As of July 16, there have been a total of 373 highway fatalities, 45 fewer than at the same time last year.

Of the 791 total fatalities in 2009, 649 were in motor vehicles. Of those killed, 61 percent were not buckled up and 20 percent of fatalities involved alcohol. Motorcyclists accounted for 80 fatalities. More than 60 percent of those killed were not wearing helmets and 19 percent of fatal motorcycle crashes involved alcohol.

Source