MOTOR VEHICLE CRASHES

The enforcement of traffic laws is an important part of a police officer’s job, a duty that directly contributes to public safety in the community. The purpose of traffic enforcement is to reduce traffic accidents and save lives. In 2015, Merriam officers issued 9,251 traffic citations.

The following numbers represent some of the violations that Merriam officers issued citations for in 2015:

One of the fundamental duties of any police department is to investigate motor vehicle accidents. The City of Merriam has 65 miles of roadway within its borders, including approximately three miles of interstate highway. According to data provided by the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) the portion of Interstate 35, just north of 75th Street, is the busiest section of highway in the State of Kansas. KDOT estimates that over 100,000 cars drive through the city each day. With the types of roadways that run through Merriam, and the high number of businesses and general drive-through traffic, the problem of traffic control and accident investigation becomes a full-time challenge.

2015crashfacts

There were 648 motor vehicle accidents reported to the Merriam Police Department in 2015 compared to 590 in 2014. Of these:

» 156 accidents involved some level of personal injuries

» 4 09 accidents resulted in damage of more than $1,000

» 27 accidents were alcohol-related

• There were injuries in 8 of these

» 103 accidents were reported and investigated as Hit-and-Run

» 31 were on private property

» 83 were minor accidents under $1,000

NOTE: The above statistics do not include the 194 accidents reported to KHP that occurred on I-35.