Blog: Traveling Safe, Saving Lives

Statement

When cars and trucks cross the median and veer into oncoming traffic, the crashes are horrific and often fatal.

Tragically, we've seen that firsthand on Kentucky's interstates on a number of occasions the past few years.

Preventing such crashes has been a priority of my administration.

Today, I visited Hart County to announce another step in our continuing effort to make safer a stretch of Interstate 65 that has been the scene of several tragedies. Two years ago we installed median cable barriers on 34 miles of I-65 in the region, then later we added some temporary concrete barriers to fill in gaps where cable didn't reach. Today we announced plans to add 13 miles of temporary barriers from about Mile Marker 67 in Hart County to Mile Marker 80 in Hardin County.

Again, the goal is to save lives by keeping cars and trucks that leave the road from entering oncoming traffic.

Cable barriers are relatively new in the state, first installed less than five years ago. During my administration we've added some 62 miles of cable barriers on interstates 64, 65, 71, 75 and 265, as well as parts of New Circle Road in Lexington and Ky. 841 in Louisville.

More than 53 additional miles are in the works on various interstates from I-275 in Boone County to I-75 in Whitley County.

Cable barrier, strong though it is, has limitations. It's not designed, for example, to stop a heavily loaded tractor-trailer, though that has happened on occasion.

All told, barriers in Kentucky have been credited with stopping hundreds of cars and other vehicles from crossing into other lanes.

No doubt many lives have been saved.

In fact, highway fatalities have been dropping steadily over the past five years, and the number to date this year is down significantly.

But even one fatality is too many, and we won't rest until we do all that we can to protect our drivers.

That's why this week we announced Kentucky law enforcement will aggressively patrol roads through Labor Day looking for impaired drivers as part of the national "Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest" campaign.

It's a simple message: Drinking and driving have only bad outcomes -- injuries and death, property damage and humiliating arrests.

Don't do it.

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