Results from the overtime patrols conducted in March to prevent dangerous or impaired driving are in. The Elkhart County Traffic Safety Partnership announced during this time, Officers’ efforts provided the following results:

• Operating while Intoxicated – 13
• Seatbelt Violations- 71
• Felony arrests- 2
• Criminal Misdemeanors- 21
• Total Number of Tickets Issued- 290
• Total Number of Warnings Issued- 225

According to the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute, dangerous driving, which includes such factors as speeding, tailgating and disregarding a traffic signal, accounted for 12 percent of all crashes and 30 percent of all traffic fatalities in Indiana in 2019.

Despite having fewer drivers on the road last year, 2020 was one of the highest years for traffic fatalities in the past decade.

To address this issue, the traffic safety partnership joined more than 200 agencies across the state for the March Enforcement Campaign, funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

High-visibility patrols were conducted to discourage impaired and unsafe driving, with a special emphasis on St. Patrick’s Day and events surrounding the NCAA Tournament.