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Raising Awareness About Traffic Fatalities and Injuries

March 7, 2005 (05-039)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:  Maggie Thompson, 785-296-5613 or maggiet@ksdot.org

Raising Awareness About Traffic Fatalities and Injuries

Traffic crashes are the number one killer of children in Kansas, the number one killer of teenagers, and the number one killer of adults under the age of 34.

Last year alone, 456 people died on Kansas roadways.

An additional 2,000 suffered disabling injuries and some 23,000 suffered other injuries. State transportation, public safety, and health leaders want more Kansans to be aware of those sobering statistics, and they want to involve as many people as possible in finding ways to reduce those numbers.

With that in mind, Secretary of Transportation Deb Miller, Secretary of Health and Environment Roderick Bremby and Col. William Seck, Superintendent of the Kansas Highway Patrol, have joined forces. Together, they hope to raise awareness across the state about the number of fatalities and injuries happening on Kansas roadways and the emotional and financial toll they take on our citizens.

The awareness campaign will begin with informational presentations to legislative committees and then will move across the state as the three agencies host four community forums. Those forums will bring together individuals and groups that share concern with the number of lives lost and people injured each year along Kansas roadways.

Individuals and groups are being asked to join KDOT, KDHE, and KHP at the community forums to share their perspectives and thoughts on traffic crashes and the impact they have on everyone's lives.

The forums will be conducted in the following cities:

Colby, KS
Tuesday, March 15, 2005
4:30 - 6:30 PM
City Limits Convention Center/
Comfort Inn
Chardon Room
2225 South Range Ave.

Pittsburg, KS
Tuesday, March 22, 2005
4:30 - 6:30 PM
Memorial Auditorium & Convention Ctr.
503 North Pine

Wichita, KS
Thursday, March 24, 2005
4:30 - 6:30 PM
Sedgwick County Extension Office
Bison Room
21st & Maize Road

Lawrence, KS
Wednesday, March 30, 2005
4:30 - 6:30 PM
Lawrence Visitor Information Center
Union Pacific Depot - Community Room
402 N. 2nd St.
(Additional parking available to the south)

People interested in participating in the upcoming community forums are asked to please contact Maggie Thompson, KDOT Public Involvement Liaison, 785-296-5613 or maggiet@ksdot.org.

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